All That Matters
by LiveLaughLove728
Summary: "'We're going to spend our senior year together,' Annabeth explained, 'here in New York...'" (Blood of Olympus, Ch. 56). Percy and Annabeth are back from the Giant War and will be together in New York for a whole year. A year of love, family, and the not-so-small challenge of finding healing after Tartarus and picking up the rest of the pieces that the war left behind. Post-BoO!
1. Going Home

**Hey everyone! This is the story I mentioned wanting to write a few times, set after BoO. I finally did it!**

**As most of you probably know, I wrote a story about, gosh, 2 years ago now, called Long Road Ahead, about Percy and Annabeth after they come back from Tartarus and the war. The problem, obviously, is that I wrote it before even HoH came out, so it is not very accurate. This ****isn't the same story though. I'm not rewriting LRA because I personally like it even if it isn't quite cannon now. This story, I am writing because, personally, I felt that Blood of Olympus left a few too many loose ends untied and I honestly was pretty disappointed in it as a final book. And so, I present to you, All That Matters, a post-BoO story.**

**Really quick, before you start reading, I might be changing the title, assuming I can come up with a better one (Ideas are welcome!), so please, don't get too confused if it is something different in the future.**

**This chapter is in Annabeth's POV, but I think I am going to write this story with alternating POVs every other chapter that will switch between Percy and Annabeth. And for this first chapter, if you read Long Road Ahead, you already saw a Percy/Sally reunion, but, a) this one will be slightly different, and b) if you're anything like me, and by that, I mean seriously upset about not getting one in the books, you hopefully won't mind too much. :) Chapter 1 is on the shorter side. You can expect longer chapters in the future.**

**I originally planned to wait to write this until school was out for the summer, but I thought you all might like it before then. So, because of this, updates may be infrequent for the next 3 or so weeks because I have multiple AP exams, finals, and an SAT coming up. But I will do my best.**

**Okay, I think I am done rambling for now. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!**

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_**Annabeth**_

Percy's foot tapped impatiently against the floor of the subway car as the train carried us, along with hundreds of other New Yorkers, across the city's underground. His posture was rigid, his spine straight against his seat back, arms folded as he stared down at them, looking both nervous and excited, and lost in thought.

Normally, his restlessness and his inability to sit still were endearing, if not completely annoying-like when we were waiting for our food to arrive at a restaurant or stuck waiting for the crosswalk signal to change during rush hour traffic in Manhattan. This time, at least, his impatience was justified.

We were on our way into the city, to Percy's apartment. It would be the first time he saw his parents in over nine months.

I had asked him earlier this morning if he wanted to go alone to see them. It didn't seem right for me to impose like that, but he had been adamant that I go with him. And honestly, I wasn't in a huge rush to be away from him so soon after the war anyway. Besides, it would be nice to see Sally and Paul again. Things with my own family, who I planned on calling later tonight, were still kind of complicated, but with Percy's parents, it was easy.

It had been two days since Gaea had risen and almost destroyed the world. Two days since the Romans had declared war on the Greeks. And two days since we'd had to stop them all and save the world again. And in that time, I'd watched Percy grow more and more impatient to go home. We'd had to stay at Camp Half-Blood long enough to help with the wounded, burn the shrouds of lost campers, and for the members of the quest to be officially welcomed back before the Roman demigods went home to Camp Jupiter. All the members, that is, except Leo, whose laurel wreath had burned atop the shroud his cabin had made for him.

I still wasn't sure how to feel about Leo. So many had been lost, but Leo's death had been one of the hardest blows. I'd only known him for a little over a year, since he'd first shown up with Piper and Jason, and he'd annoyed me the majority of the time. And yet, still he'd grown on me. And now he was gone, and had died saving the rest of us.

But that was how life worked for half-bloods. We fought battles we were too young to be fighting, and we lost friends who were too young to be lost. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and it wouldn't be the last.

Percy and I had left camp that morning and had taken a taxi, which had gotten us as far as the outskirts of Manhattan before the traffic had gotten bad and Percy, too impatient to sit in it, had had the cabbie drop us off there so we could jump on a subway to take us the rest of the way.

Traveling like this clearly annoyed Percy when he was as anxious to get home as he was. Normally, he probably would have relied on Blackjack, his Pegasus, to take him into the city much faster than any mortal transportation could. But Blackjack was still recovering from the injuries he'd sustained on the boat with Reyna. The praetor had kept him alive, but the flying horse was in no shape yet to take anyone anywhere. Percy had nearly had a heart attack when he'd found out his horse had been stabbed-he loved Blackjack. The other Pegasi were either recovering themselves or still too shaken up to be of much use as rides. So here we were.

Still looking at him, I placed a hand on his leg, just above his knee. The contact seemed to break him out of his thoughts. He looked at me and I raised my eyebrows, questioning. _Are you okay?_ Percy nodded and uncrossed his arms to place his hand over mine. I turned my own palm up to hold his better and he intertwined our fingers.

He'd been more reserved since the quest, quieter. If I hadn't been so good at knowing his thoughts without him speaking them, it probably would have been driving me crazy. Then again, I probably wasn't quite the same either. The nightmares that kept me awake at night were evidence enough of that. We'd been through literal hell on that quest. And it would take some time to heal.

But I had Percy back. We were together again. That was all that mattered.

The subway slowed for another stop and the doors opened, allowing a handful of people to funnel out and emitting just as many new ones before they closed and the train accelerated again. The next stop was ours.

It was about 10am by the time we emerged from the subway station onto the crowded sidewalks, already growing hot as noon approached. Percy and I both wore shorts and camp T-shirts, but they did little to help with the August humidity. He didn't seem to notice though.

He'd paused at the top of the steps and took in our surroundings for a second, my favorite smile slowly appearing on his face. When he looked at me, his green eyes were alight with newfound excitement, like the fact that he was actually going home hadn't quite hit him until now. "Let's go," he said, taking my hand in his, and led the way through the throng of New Yorkers.

Percy's apartment building was only a few blocks away from the subway and it wasn't very long before we were right in front of it. The streets had grown slightly less crowded now that we were on a residential block and parked cars bordered the sidewalk on either side of the road. Percy walked right in, towing me behind him.

When Hera had taken him and swapped him out for Jason, she had done so in the middle of the night, so everything, including the keys to his apartment building, had been left behind in the Poseidon cabin. Percy, either because the elevator took too long or because the Doors of Death had, in fact, been an elevator (I wasn't sure I would ever voluntarily use one again), opted to use the stairs, which his key allowed him access to and, within minutes, the two of us stood in front of the familiar green door of his parents' apartment.

He paused before knocking-it was a better idea then just letting himself in after having been missing for the better part of a year. Turning to look at me, he asked, "I'm not too banged up, right? I don't want my mom to freak out."

Despite myself, I smiled as the part of Percy's personality I loved most made an appearance.

The last few days and occasional doses of Nectar and Ambrosia had allowed all but the worst of our injuries to heal completely. Percy, whose face and nose had been swollen and still slightly bloody when we'd first gotten back to camp, looked about as good as possible: the black eyes he'd sported for a while afterward having faded into nonexistence and the other injuries he'd sustained mostly gone as well. Aside from a handful of still-healing cuts and bruises, the only real evidence of the little trip we'd taken through Tartarus and the war we'd just fought was his hair, which was uneven and slightly burnt at the edges-probably from the Phlegathon, but, overall, not horribly alarming.

"No, Seaweed Brain," I answered, "You look good."

He grinned. "Well, you look perfect, so I guess I can't be that bad." I smiled wider. That first bit wasn't true, but I would take the compliment anyway.

"Ready?" I asked in response.

He looked back toward the door and nodded, squeezing my hand once before letting it go and lifting it to knock on it. He took a deep breath and said; "Here goes nothing." And he knocked.

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**Thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it!**

**Again, please leave your thoughts; I'd love to hear them, as well as any ideas you have for future chapters. Believe me, they help a lot!**


	2. I Almost Give My Mom a Heart Attack

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter! I loved reading them!**

**I meant to have this update posted sooner, but I've been really busy and I had some trouble actually putting this chapter together but I think it came out pretty good. Hopefully you agree!**

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_**Percy**_

I finished knocking on the apartment door and lowered my arm, waiting. I met Annabeth's eyes beside me, nervous excitement filling me so completely that it was a wonder I was able to stand as still as I was. I was home. My parents were on the other side of that door; I was finally going to see my mom again. After so long, it was finally happening.

Annabeth's gray eyes were steady and familiar, and I felt slightly calmer, looking at her. "Just a minute!" a voice called from inside the apartment and my heart lurched almost painfully. I knew that voice; would know it anywhere. My mom's voice. Never had I wanted a door to open so badly before.

My heart was pounding. Annabeth was watching me with an expression of support and love, like she could imagine the confusing mix of emotions roiling inside me and understood. And if anyone could, it was Annabeth. She gave a small smile, which I returned.

The door was opened then by a figure so familiar it hurt. She seemed shorter but more likely I was just taller. Her brown hair was tied back, slightly more gray showing through at the roots than I remembered; her blue eyes had dark shadows under them, and I knew that I wasn't the only one who hadn't been getting enough sleep. Immediately I felt guilty for disappearing and putting her through that, regardless of whether I'd had a choice, and the guilt probably would have been crushing, except for the fact that seeing her also brought a wave of joy and love washing over me, which consumed every other emotion I felt in that moment.

It had been maybe a second.

My mom's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in utter surprise. She stood frozen, blinking at me through already-filling eyes as if not believing what she was seeing for a second, before she flung herself forward, closing the distance between us, and enveloped me in a hug that was slightly too tight for my still-healing injuries but I wouldn't have had it any other way. "Oh, my gods, _where _have you been?"

I wrapped my arms around her shaking frame and leaned down to bury my face in my mom's shoulder, allowing myself to truly relax for the first time since waking up in the middle of the woods with Lupa's wolves.

"Oh, my gods," my mom repeated, shock rendering her incapable of saying anything else, "Oh, my gods, Percy."

"I'm so sorry, Mom," I said, tears spilling out of my own eyes.

"Oh, my gods," she repeated one more time to herself, her voice no louder than a whisper, before pulling away to cup my face in her hands. She leaned close to me for a second; eyes closed, and took a deep breath before opening them again. "Do you know," she asked, "how worried I've been? I didn't know where you were-if you were safe, or lost, or starving. Or even _alive-_"

"I know. I'm sorry," I told her again, "Gods, I'm so sorry."

"_Nine months. _Nothing but a single voicemail for _nine months_?" So she _had _gotten my voicemail from Alaska. I hadn't been sure before now. That had been right after my memories had started coming back. I had been pretty upset when no one had answered the phone, but at least they'd gotten my message.

I would have tried again, except that there had been no cell service at Camp Jupiter, and we'd been dealing with enough monsters aboard the Argo II already for it to be worth the risk of trying any other time. And then Annabeth and I had fallen into Tartarus, and then there'd been the war, and there'd just been no time. It had been go, go, go, until literally this morning, when I'd had enough of everything being more important than my family.

My mom continued staring at me for another few seconds, her expression something between that of someone who still didn't quite believe their eyes, and that of someone who was trying really hard to be mad, but was failing.

"I love you?" I tried, both because I meant it and because I wanted her to stop looking at me like that and just smile already.

It worked. She gave a breathy laugh that was mostly a sigh of relief and did smile, wrapping me in her arms again, gentler this time. "I love you too, Percy. More than you know. Just never disappear like that again. Ever." Maybe it would have been worthwhile to point out that the entire vanishing act had been against my will, but she knew that already-Annabeth had told her as much before she'd left with Leo, Jason, Piper, and Coach Hedge for California-and I did feel pretty bad that she'd had to go through it, so I didn't.

When she let me go again, she just stood, still in the doorway, examining me for a minute, her eyes trailing up and down my body, as if assessing me for damage. Which was _exactly_ what she was doing. I looked a lot better than I had a few days ago, mostly just minor cuts and bruises left over from the major injuries of the battle-both of them. And scars-quite a few new scars, but thankfully mostly on my arms and legs, not anywhere too concerning or obvious, like my face, though my mom would still see them. My hair was a wreck, I knew that, and I was still on the skinny side after Tartarus, but Mom didn't need to know about _that _living nightmare. Not yet, at least.

Her eyes lingered on my right forearm, on the dark SPQR tattoo burned into the skin there. She didn't freak out though, like she probably would have normally. Instead, she just stared at it resignedly, not actually looking particularly surprised at all. But then again, she'd probably been expecting way worse, assuming that she ever saw me again. I guess, given the circumstances, a tattoo was a really minor thing to waste time fretting over. She looked up from my arm to meet my eyes again, her expression actually looking rather amused. "Should I even ask?" she questioned dryly.

"It wasn't my idea," I answered quickly, glancing down at my arm, as if I could will the mark away and erase it from my mom's memory, "And no, you shouldn't."

Other than that, she didn't appear to have found anything that was too disconcerting-she was pretty used to this, after all, on a smaller scale; and she seemed to relax. She looked so happy; like she'd gotten everything she'd ever wanted by my showing up at the door, which actually, knowing my mom, was probably not too wild of an assumption. It made me happy.

I glanced beside me, at Annabeth, who stood in the same spot she'd been before the door had been opened, feeling her eyes on me. She'd watched the reunion and stood smiling, watching the two of us.

Following my glance, my mom noticed her too and, with another sound of relief, moved to embrace her. I noticed Paul then, who stood just inside the apartment. He'd probably been there the whole time, but I hadn't really been paying very good attention just then.

He grinned when he saw me and held his arms up theatrically as I stepped toward him. "You don't call; you don't write," he said, trying for humor, but he looked beyond pleased to see me.

"Sorry," I said, grinning back, "Been kinda busy. Saving the world and such."

"I'd heard that." He moved forward to hug me then, growing serious, "It's really good to see you, Perce. We missed you a lot."

"I missed you too," I said as we stepped apart. My mom was leading Annabeth inside, the former's eyes never leaving mine, as if she were afraid I would disappear. And after what had happened, it was probably a reasonable concern.

But there would be no more godly games of Trading Spaces for me. Or for Annabeth. In fact, there wouldn't be any more games, period. I was so done with this.

"A lot," I added, looking between my parents, who had both heard my response, "I love you guys."

"We love you too," my mom answered coming to stand next to me, "But I swear to all the gods, Perseus Jackson, if you _ever _do that to me again, I will personally track you down-I don't care where-and kill you myself. Is that understood?"

I smiled again and said, "Yes," I wrapped an arm around her.

"Good," she replied, wrapping an arm around me in response.

"And I'll help her," Annabeth put in from my mom's elbow.

"I know," I replied, grinning at her.

My mom just smiled. "Okay," she said, disentangling herself and stepping away from me in the direction of the kitchen, "I'm going to make the best breakfast you've had in nine months, and the two of you are going to eat all of it because you are both way too skinny. Now what do you want? Sky's the limit."

"Pancakes," I answered automatically. No one could make pancakes quite like Sally Jackson. The latter smiled wider, like she'd expected nothing less but was overjoyed to hear it anyway.

"Annabeth?" she asked, looking toward her, where she stood beside me.

"Pancakes sound fantastic," Annabeth replied, smiling.

"Alright then," my mom said, turning to leave the room.

"Mom," I called before she got very far. She immediately stopped and looked at me again, "Can you make them blue?" I already knew the answer, but it made me happy to see my mom's smile. I was positive she hadn't been doing enough of that lately and I intended to make up for that.

"Absolutely," she responded, and turned on her heal toward the kitchen again.

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**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought and any ideas you have for future chapters. They've been really great so far!**


	3. Alone

**Hey guys! Sorry this update took a while. I've been super busy, but my AP exams are this week so hopefully after then things will wind down a bit so I'll have more time to write.**

**Hopefully this chapter is alright. I'm not really sure how I feel about it but I tried my best to keep everyone IC. Hopefully you like it and let me know what you think!**

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**_Annabeth_**

_Darkness. It was the only thing I could see; utter blackness that engulfed me like a wave that refused to recede. Never had I experienced such darkness before, darkness that was more than just a lack of light, but a lack of anything at all. I was completely blind._

_It would have been overwhelming, being so utterly unable to see, except that it dulled in comparison to the complete ache of fear, disbelief, hurt, and abandonment that had overtaken me completely. Percy was gone. He'd been there before, leading me through the hell I could no longer see, fighting with me, protecting me from unseen dangers. And then he was gone. He'd left me here, even after he'd promised to stay with me. It wasn't like him. Why would he do that? How could he?_

_But the raw pain and desperation rolling through me left no room for reason, only the hopeless feeling that I was completely alone down here._

"_Percy!" The scream tore its way almost painfully through my throat, my voice cracking in fear, "Why did you leave me?" I stumbled in the blackness, searching uselessly for him. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't find him myself. I couldn't find my way out of here. There was every possibility that I was stumbling helplessly in circles and would continue to do so until I dropped dead-from exhaustion or dehydration or fear. Whichever came first. Because Percy was gone. Percy, who had told me he loved me, that he would die for me, had abandoned me._

"_Percy?" I called again futilely, even though I knew he was gone, I could feel it. "Percy! Where are you?" I could feel the tears running down my face and the sobs that threatened to overtake me as I staggered helplessly in my blindness. I was by myself now. I had no one left in the world. I was completely alone._

"_Where are you? Percy, come back!"_

_But I was completely alone._

I jerked awake, my heart racing and my breaths coming in uneven gasps, the covers of my bed tangled hopelessly around my legs. Percy had his arms tight around me, holding me to him-had I been fighting against him in my sleep? "Shh," he was saying, "Annabeth, it's okay. It's okay, I'm right here." He cut off as I went still in his arms, my eyes open and staring straight ahead of me in the semi-darkness of the bedroom, trying to calm myself down. It was just a dream. "You okay?"

Silently, I just shook my head and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his bare shoulder as tears continued to roll down my cheeks. No, I was not okay. He tightened his grip on me. "It was just a dream," he murmured in my ear, his breath hot on my already-clammy skin. He was here, and real. And he wasn't going anywhere. Of course he wasn't. He was Percy.

"I know," I managed, drawing another deep breath, which worked to calm me better than the others I'd taken had, "I'm sorry I woke you up."

With a gentle sigh, he let go enough to look at me. Even in the dimness, his green eyes, though they looked tired, were vibrant and comforting. Slowly my heart rate began to slow. "Hey," he said gently, "Don't apologize. It's my fault you had to go through that."

"No, it isn't, Percy," I sighed. Of course he knew what the nightmare had been about, and of course he blamed himself for what had happened, though the blame couldn't have been farther from him.

He didn't answer except to continue looking at me with an expression that clearly said he didn't accept that. I changed the subject. "What was I doing? I didn't wake your parents up, did I?" I sincerely hoped not.

Sally and Paul, upon finding out that I planned to stay in New York for the year after we'd gone to visit them for the first time since the war, had insisted that I stay here with them. I'd originally planned on getting an apartment nearby, and I'd told Sally as much, but she would have none of it. "I am not going to let you live by yourself in some shabby apartment in the city when we have a perfectly good guest room down the hall," she'd said adamantly. And needless to say, she'd won that argument, if you can call it that.

That had been a week ago, and I'd been living with Percy and his parents ever since. There were a few rules of course that Sally, being a responsible parent, had implemented. One such rule included us staying in separate bedrooms at night. This, however, had been unintentionally and necessarily broken pretty quickly when, that night, the nightmares came, as they often did now. When the entire apartment was waken up in the middle of the night by Percy's screams, Sally had been more than happy to waive the separate bedrooms rule. And it was a good thing too.

The quest to Greece had taken a toll on all of us, but Tartarus had been a different experience altogether, one that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. We were about as good as possible during the day, when there were people and tasks to distract from the horrors we'd seen down there. But nighttime was a different story, one the brought those horrors back for us to experience all over again. Having Percy around made it better, bearable even, but without him, I honestly didn't want to close my eyes.

"I don't know," Percy answered, "You were crying and calling my name and I just came running. I don't think so." I hoped he was right. His room was closer to mine than his parents' was, for which I was grateful. They didn't need to be woken up every time a nightmare left one of us in unconscious fits of terror.

I took what comfort I could in his words and found that my breathing had gone back to normal. "You came running," I repeated softly because I liked the sound of it.

Even in the dark, Percy's smile, small as it was, was unmistakable. "I came running," he confirmed, "I always will."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Just tell me you'll do the same for me."

We were separated by now, sitting across from each other on my bed. I grabbed his hand in mine. "You know I always will."

Percy nodded, looking at me. His eyes were bright in the darkness, the only part about him that looked truly awake, as they always did, even with the now-ever-present bags beneath them. He wore no shirt; only a pair of pajama pants, and his hair was a mess-from sleep and, undeniably, nightmares of his own. It was clear, even with the poor lighting, that he was exhausted himself. We were trying, for his parents' sake, to obey the rules, out of respect and to show them that their faith in us was not misplaced, but personally, I didn't know how much longer the two of us could keep this up.

Percy leaned forward then and brought his lips to mine in a gentle kiss, full of love and comfort-for both of us. "I love you," he said when he pulled away, "I would never leave you. Never. I'm so sorry-"

I silenced him with another quick kiss. "Don't be. It's not your fault, Percy."

"That _arai _never would have hurt you if it hadn't been for me," he said miserably.

"Stop it," I told him, "I'm alive because of you. I would have been down there alone if it weren't for you. Percy, if you hadn't fallen with me…." It was too horrible to even think about.

He wrapped his arms around me again and pulled me toward his chest. "I wouldn't have let that happen." He wouldn't realize it, especially at three in the morning, but he was kind of proving my point.

"I know," I said, still slightly shaken, but feeling much better with Percy's presence and the last remnants of the dream fading in consciousness. I hated feeling so weak and vulnerable, but this was Percy. He'd seen me at my worst and loved me anyway. He was the only one who I'd ever allow to see me like this.

He held me for a minute, neither of us saying anything. His embrace was comforting. It didn't matter that it had been weeks since Tartarus; the nightmares always brought me back and I was forced to replay all the fear and desperation of our time down there all over again every night. I didn't know what I would have done if I hadn't been living under the same roof as he was. He was the only person in the world who knew exactly what had gone on down there and the only one who could do anything about it.

And I knew it went both ways. Percy needed me just as much as I needed him. "Stay here tonight?" I asked quietly, my face still half buried in his shoulder. It was against the rules but technically they'd already been broken and I didn't want to close my eyes and face the nightmares again alone.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Percy admitted and shifted us both so we were lying down, side by side, his grip never loosening around me.

It was hard right now, especially at night, but already we were improving. It was slow, but it was happening, and as long we had each other close by, I was sure we'd be okay. We would get through this and we would heal. Together.

The thought was comforting as I lay in Percy's arms and let sleep envelope me once more.

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**This was a slightly darker chapter, but I don't want this to be one of those stories that have Percy an Annabeth bouncing right back after Tartarus and being completely fine immediately. Because they just went through Hell. Literally. It's not that simple, and I personally thought BoO portrayed that very poorly. So hopefully this is a little more realistic to what (I think anyway) that actually ****should be like.**

**Thanks for reading and hopefully you liked it!**


	4. We Attend A Campfire

**Hey everyone! I am SO sorry for how long this took to post. School and testing took some time and writers block hit HARD. But its here now, so hopefully you like it. :)**

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**_Percy_**

The last day of camp rolled around just under two weeks after the Giant War ended, and with it came the annual campfire. The battle had taken a toll on Camp Half-Blood, as well as the campers there, but a surprising amount of rebuilding had taken place in the time since, and the place was looking almost normal again, save for the occasional singed patch of grass, fallen tree, or broken structure. Still, recently fought war or not, nothing was going to keep us from enjoying ourselves.

Annabeth and I had arrived back the day before, after spending some time at my parents'. I didn't want to leave so soon after coming home, even for only a couple of days, but I didn't want to miss this.

It was still early, and half-bloods were still filing in every few minutes or so, sometimes in large groups, other times only one or two at a time. The nights had been growing colder as fall approached and the breeze blowing off the Sound was just cold enough to be uncomfortable without the fire and its welcome warmth, even though it was still little more than a normal campfire at this point. I sat, like the rest of the campers, around the flames, Jason on my one side, Annabeth on my other, my arm wrapped around her in the firelight.

All around us, campers laughed and chatted with each other with varying degrees of excitement and sang the silly campfire songs. For the moment though, I wasn't participating. My mind was elsewhere, wrapped up in thoughts of just a few years earlier, sitting in the same spot with the same girl by my side. Our situation had been much different then, but life had been simpler too, back before either of us had experienced all the horrors demigod life had to offer. And yet, there had always been high points too, balancing out the negatives and keeping us all sane enough to keep going. Those points included friends, and Annabeth, and campfires just like this one.

Maybe it was that we had grown up, that we had only one year left to be campers here, that made all the good, old memories of this place come flooding back. Maybe it was the atmosphere of relief that had filled the place since the war ended. Or maybe it was just the knowledge that another summer of camp was over and life in the real world would begin again that always brought a sense of sentimentality with it.

Annabeth, beside me, had been quiet and reminiscent herself. She broke me out of my thoughts though when she placed a hand on my knee. I looked away from the orange flames and at her. The fire danced in her eyes in a really beautiful way, though she wasn't looking at me. She was staring over my shoulder, behind me. I turned to follow her gaze to land on the canoe lake a little in the distance, glinting in the moonlight. "Remember when they threw us in there?" she asked, her voice wistful.

Of course I remembered. That was where we'd had "the best underwater kiss of all time." There had, of course, been many great kisses since then, but it still took rank pretty high. "How could I forget?" My smile was answer enough for Annabeth.

"That was a year ago," she said. And she was right. It seemed like much longer, but that had been the end of the Titan War. "How unbelievable is that?"

I opened my mouth to answer, with half a mind to just lean forward and kiss her right there, but was interrupted immediately by a rough, familiar voice. "If you two don't stop making googly eyes at each other, I'm going to throw you _back _in there."

Leave it to Clarisse to ruin the moment.

Beside me, Jason snorted, clearly amused. The campers' singing had grown pretty loud though; enough to turn the fire's color, so I doubted many other people heard her, which probably rained on her parade just a little bit. I just gave her a look. "When did you even get here?" I demanded, not unkindly. She hadn't been there when we sat down.

"Long enough ago that you two are making me sick."

"You know you love it."

Clarisse narrowed her eyes at me, but before she could refute that, Chris Rodriguez sauntered over, calling her name and beckoning her over. She rolled her eyes, but I could see the smile she wore just under the surface, softening her ever-present scowl. With one last glare cast my way, she got up and joined her boyfriend and a few of her cabin mates who stood in a loose circle off to the side of the main group.

After she walked away, I wrapped my arm around Annabeth again, just as the campers took up "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa," which had been a camp favorite for as long as I'd been there, and the flames reacted to the campers' enthusiasm, growing ten feet in height instantly and turning a deep green. Marshmallows had also begun being distributed, which meant we were officially underway. In the spirit of it all, I pulled Annabeth closer to me and we both joined in in singing along.

Grover showed up a little while later, in the middle of "Down by the Aegean," and sat himself down on the other side of Annabeth. Everything had been so busy the past few weeks that I had actually seen very little of the Satyr-a fact I felt pretty badly about. Grover, of course, didn't mind. He was just overjoyed that we were alive and as well as could be.

"How's Juniper?" Annabeth asked him after a minute of friendly conversation.

Even in the firelight, Grover's blush was obvious. "She's… she's amazing," he admitted, looking down, embarrassed, though he was beaming. I smiled, glad to see the guy so head over heals and happy.

"How are you guys?" he asked when he'd recovered some.

"We're good," I answered.

"Things are… getting better then?" he pressed. I knew what he was asking. Annabeth did too. We'd been in worse shape than we'd thought when we'd gotten back from the war. Tartarus had taken its toll and people had noticed. Grover wasn't the first person to wonder about us like that.

"Yeah," Annabeth answered, with only the subtlest undertone to her voice that surely only I could detect, "They're getting there."

Grover nodded at the same time that Piper, who, along with Jason, had probably been eavesdropping, asked, "Was your mom surprised when you came home?"

I smiled and gave a laugh. "Gods, yes."

"She couldn't believe it," Annabeth put in, smiling, "Paul either. It was really sweet."

Grover, still smiling, said, "I miss your parents."

"So come over sometime," I told him, "It's been forever and my mom would love to see you."

The Satyr's smile widened, "Maybe I will."

Chiron stood up before the campers then and signaled for quiet. "Good evening, heroes," he began, and then proceeded to make a short speech about how this summer had been one for the history books, how we'd united two groups of people, formerly enemies, and made friends out of them. He mentioned the bravery and heroism shown in the battle and the strength we'd presented as a whole. And he spoke about the new campers we'd gained and the losses we'd suffered. "It is because of all of these things, however, that we remain here today, intact and allied with the Roman camp, stronger than we've been for generations, as another summer session reaches its end." The campers applauded and cheered, whoops resounding from every direction.

When the noise finally died down, Chiron turned to Mr. D, who stood off to the side, looking bored and as annoyed as ever. "Mr. D, would you like to say a few words?" he asked, more out of obligation than any genuine interest in the wine god's contribution.

Mr. D lifted his bloodshot eyes to meet Chiron's, looking particularly unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah," he said, "All you brats are still here. Huzzah and everything. You may have put Olympus back in order again, but I still hate you all." And that was that. Typical Dionysus. The seasoned campers expected nothing less, though a few of the newer, younger ones looked slightly taken aback. I seriously wished I'd been around for the months he'd been recalled to Olympus, upcoming war or not. It must have been so pleasant.

"Okay," Chiron said, taking control again, if not somewhat awkwardly, "And now, I believe it is time for you all to receive this year's beads."

The camp beads were one of my favorite parts about Camp Half-Blood; a way to remember the events of each summer, and a reminder of everything we'd accomplished and survived, a reminder of what was real. The leather necklaces were handed out to start, to the first year campers who didn't have one, and there were quite a lot. The onslaught of new faces after the Titan War last summer had been tremendous and the number of newcomers had remained steady for some time after that too. Between Winter Break of last year when I'd first been kidnapped, and when we'd returned from Greece, the number of campers practically doubled in size.

After that came this year's beads, which it had been the Apollo cabin's turn to design. When mine was handed to me, I held it between my thumb and forefinger up to the firelight and examined it closely, my heart contracting painfully.

The bead was painted gold with a design of flames painted onto it, the tiny image of a flying bronze dragon in the center of those flames, the tiny SPQR emblem of the Romans on one side of it and the Pegasus design depicted on our camp shirts on the other. A dedication to Leo and the sacrifice he made for us all.

Jason, next to me, stared painfully down at the small bead that lay in his palm. Beside him, Piper started crying quietly. Wordlessly, I unhooked my own necklace from my neck and strung the new bead onto it with the others. I would be proud to wear it. In honor of Leo Valdez, who had been brave until the end.

I looked at Annabeth, beside me, who held her own necklace in her hands with the new golden bead on it, staring down at it. Even in the dim, flickering light, I could see the tears she was trying to fight back in her eyes. I wrapped her in my arms and pulled her close, careful not to let the necklace fall out of her hand. She had been closer to Leo than I'd gotten the chance to be, had spent more time with him, had talked more with him, had worked with him. There'd been so much happening so quickly after we'd gotten back that neither of us had had time to think straight. But Leo had been her friend and comrade in arms, as he was mine, and his death (it couldn't be anything else by this point) hurt her. She didn't know what to think at first, she'd told me as much, but she missed him, and I did too. She let me hold her.

A silence had fallen over the campers as they'd received their beads, and it was clear we were all thinking the same thing, all of us remembering the curly-haired, fun-loving demigod who had been better than we'd deserved and who'd paid the ultimate price for us all.

The mood was pretty somber after that. The campfire died down and the moon rose higher, and soon enough, we were all sent back to our cabins for the night: the last night of the summer session. Tomorrow would signal the beginning of another year of mortal life for Annabeth and me. My birthday was days away and school was starting soon. It would be the first year Annabeth was attending the same school as me, and I was really excited.

We were still recovering. The quest had left us with the kind of wounds that didn't heal overnight, but we would get there eventually. As long as we had each other, we would be just fine. It was a fact I'd learned a while ago, and one I wasn't ever going to forget. Hera's amnesia might have erased every memory I had from my mind, but she hadn't been able to touch my heart, which had Annabeth's name carved permanently into it. That had to count for something.

We would be fine. As long as we were together.

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**So there were a few concerns a while back that it seemed like Annabeth didn't care about what happened to Leo, and that was never my intention. She cares, she just knows that it happens all the time and she hates it so to cope, she shuts down. I feel like she's like that for a lot of things. Hopefully this chapter cleared that up a little.**

**Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it!**


	5. Defying The Odds

**Hey guys. So I know it has literally been forever since I've updated and I really can't tell you how sorry I am. I've been really busy the past few weeks with finals and school ending and traveling (I'm actually still away), and also writer's block hit SO HARD, but school is out now and I have regained my writing ability so we're good to go now and you can expect updates for future chapters more frequently than once a month. :/ Sorry... But I will be better now, I promise. Thanks for putting up with me.**

**That being said, I hope you enjoy this update. Things should start picking up with this story now as far as an actual storyline goes assuming all goes as planned, so something to look forward to there. :)**

**Anyway, to the chapter. Enjoy!**

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_**Annabeth**_

There are few things harder in life than waking up a sleeping, teenage demigod.

I'd been up for a while, sitting in bed beside Percy and staring out the sliver of the window that the curtain had left exposed as the sun rose between the tall Manhattan buildings. I'd spent the night in his room again. I spent every night in his room. My own bed, by this point, was stacked with books and sketchpads and really got very little use from me.

Now I sat, my knees pulled up to my chest, staring down at Percy as he slept. For once, he was sleeping peacefully, without nightmares; a rarity for both of us. He looked so innocent and carefree when he slept, and younger. The forced strength and stress of the past few years fell away, leaving just Percy, as few ever knew or saw him, behind.

Eventually, Sally peeked in the door and smiled when she caught me awake. "Good morning," she said.

"Morning," I replied softly, not wanting to wake Percy, despite how doubtful such an idea was. Even without the curse of Achilles, he still slept like the dead.

Sally's eyes traveled to her sleeping son beside me and took on that loving, fond look reserved especially for mothers. She smiled slightly at the sight before looking back at me. "I'm making a nice breakfast for him. It will be ready soon, if the two of you want to come to the kitchen in a few minutes."

I nodded and she exchanged another smile with me before closing the door again and retreating back down the hall; leaving us alone and the room once again quiet , save for the rush of city traffic in the streets below.

I watched Percy sleep for another minute, reveling in how surreal it still was that I had him back, that we were home, and that everything was okay for once. It was really nice. Still, as happy as I would have been to watch him like that forever, today was his birthday and he couldn't sleep the day away.

I leaned over him, brushing a stray strand of black hair from in front of his face. "Percy," I whispered. And then again, louder, "Percy. Wake up." I shook his shoulder lightly as I did so, and he stirred slightly, but remained far from conscious.

It was truly amazing how the slightest sound of danger could have him up and out of bed in mere seconds, but deliberately waking him up was the biggest struggle in the world.

"Percy," I said again, smiling, "Get _up_." After a little more persuasion, he sighed heavily and rolled over, looping an arm around me and pulling me down toward him.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled in my ear, sleep still heavy in his words.

"No," I laughed, "Come on." When he made no further effort to move, I propped myself up on one elbow and stared down at him, my smirk slowly growing wider. Percy didn't want to get up, but I had my ways of getting him to cooperate. Still grinning, I leaned toward him and brought my lips to his to kiss him. That woke him up. "Happy birthday, Seaweed Brain," I told him after pulling away.

He opened his eyes and rolled onto his back, looking up at me. He stared at me for a few seconds and then sighed lightly. "You're so lucky I love you."

I grinned. "Come on. Your mom's making you breakfast."

The mention of food, more than anything, was what ultimately got him out of bed. "Alright." He sat up, pecked my lips quickly one more time, and was on his feet a second later: shirtless, hair rumpled, pajama pants wrinkled, and green eyes, though still sleepy, bright.

A few seconds later, I followed Percy as he led the way into the kitchen, the scent of coffee and the breakfast his mom had prepared filling the hallway and our noses as we went. Sally, standing at the stove and flipping blue pancakes onto a plate, just smiled when she saw us. "Morning," Paul greeted from the other side of the counter, where he was brewing coffee.

Sally set her spatula down and crossed the small kitchen to wrap her son in a hug. "Happy birthday, Honey!"

"Thanks, Mom," Percy answered, smiling.

Sally pulled away and looked up at him, still smiling, and sighed. "Seventeen," she said, shaking her head disbelievingly. "You're still my baby boy, you know," she added after a few seconds, "Even if you are taller than me."

Percy, a full head taller than her, laughed. "Okay."

I smiled at her words, but it was impossible to miss the emotion in her eyes. Percy was a half-blood child of one of the Big Three. Sally had, no doubt, spent his entire life knowing that he would likely die young, and by all means, she should have been right. Percy had defied death more than a few times. And yet, here he was, against every odd, on his seventeenth birthday. The significance definitely wasn't lost on her. It wasn't on me either.

Paul walked over then, a mug of coffee in his hand. He took a sip of it and then put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Happy birthday," he told him.

"Thanks," Percy smiled.

"And congratulations, both of you," Sally added with a knowing look at Percy and I.

Percy cast a sidelong glance at me, grinned, grabbed my hand, and squeezed it. The message was clear: _Happy anniversary._ I smiled back at him.

"Alright," Sally said, still looking between us with something like amusement in her features, "Who's hungry?"

"I'm always hungry for birthday pancakes," Percy answered, moving toward the table.

"You're always hungry, period," I corrected, taking a seat beside him. Paul laughed from where he stood, leaning against the countertop.

"She has a point," Sally joked, placing the plateful of blue pancakes on the table.

Percy thanked her. He made a face at me, which turned into a smile and then picked up his fork and served himself a stack of pancakes before digging in.

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The night air was cool for August later that night as Percy and I sat together on the fire escape outside the apartment. We'd had dinner and birthday cake for him a little earlier and he had led me out here after we finished washing the dishes. Now we sat outside, leaning against the brick wall of the building, watching the streets below. Percy had his arm around me and was twirling a strand of my hair around in his fingers as it blew loose in the breeze. I had my head against his shoulder. The night was a pretty quiet one for Manhattan, and though the streetlights lining the sidewalks were always on, we were high enough above them that it was pretty dark on the fire escape.

"This was definitely my favorite birthday yet," Percy announced, breaking the pervading silence.

I smirked and turned my head slightly to look at him better. "Yeah?" It had been a quiet day. We'd all gone out to lunch for his birthday and Percy and I had walked through Central Park for a little while after that. The rest of the day we were at home. He spent a while playing with the iPod his parents had given him after breakfast (one without internet accessibility to keep from attracting any more monsters than he already did), uploading games and music onto it, before Paul had put in a movie before dinner and we'd watched it with him in the living room while Sally had typed away at her laptop.

Percy nodded. "Yup. A birthday without any quests, wars, or prophesies hanging over my head." He looked at me, grinning, "And you were here the whole time, so…" He trailed off, his smile widening as he continued to look at me.

"I was here last year too," I pointed out, smirking.

"Yeah, but," he countered, leaning toward me until his forehead rested against mine and his nose was grazing my own, "Could I have done _this _last year?" He brushed his lips against mine in a quick kiss.

"Yes, actually, you could have," I said when he pulled away. "In fact, I really wanted you to."

He leveled a playful glare at me. "Well, I'm sorry. I had a lot on my plate back then, if you didn't know."

"Oh, I know. That's the only reason I've forgiven you for being slow and blind."

"I'll give you slow and blind," he retorted with a mischievous glint in his green eyes before pulling me to him and kissing me again, harder and longer this time. I let his kisses muddle my thoughts and cloud my mind the way only Percy could, our bickering long forgotten.

After a minute or two, we broke apart and he pulled me up against his chest again. I could feel his heart beating fast beneath his T-shirt. He smelled, as always, like ocean air and his breathing was slightly quick. Mine was too. "Happy birthday, Percy," I whispered.

"Happy anniversary," he replied. He was still holding me against him so he couldn't see my smile.

The two of us were quiet for another minute before I spoke up again. "You know, there was a time, not too long ago, when I was really scared we wouldn't make it to today, that we wouldn't get the chance to." I pulled away from him enough to look at him, so I was sitting in front of him. He held both my hands in his between us. "When you were missing, when I didn't know where you were or if you were coming back, or if you were even _alive_-" I took a steadying breath, fighting against the tears threatening to spring up in my eyes. "I thought that those four months we got together after the Titan War were all I'd get to be with you." I stopped, not wanting to continue or knowing where I was even really going with that. But talking about it like that, thinking about those long months, by far the worst of my life, I'd spent away from Percy, searching and worrying and running myself ragged trying to function with him gone; it still wasn't easy to relive it, even with him back and everything okay again.

"Hey," Percy said, his voice gentle, "It wasn't. You might not have known where I was and I might not have known much of anything at the time, but I never forgot you. Hera's antics and amnesia couldn't keep us apart for long and nothing else can either if Tartarus couldn't." He cupped my cheek in his hand, his green eyes boring into mine. "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm here as long as you want me."

"I'm sorry. I guess I just still can't believe we're actually here right now."

"Don't be sorry. In retrospect, we really shouldn't be. We _should_ be dead a hundred times over." He smirked.

"Defying the odds has always been a talent of ours, I guess."

"Yup," he agreed and leaned closer still, so his nose was brushing mine.

My heart rate was picking up with him so close to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "And I'll always want you, Percy. You're stuck with me for a long, long time." He smiled and leaned his head forward so his forehead rested against mine and our lips were a mere inch apart.

"I think I can live with that."

It had been one whole year that we had been together. It felt like much longer than that. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, but the Titan War really had only been a year ago; Percy's 16th birthday, the Great Prophecy, our first real kiss. It felt like that had all happened in some other era. And yet, against all odds, here we were, with a whole other set of accomplishments and feats to add to the list.

It had been a very long, very hard year, but it had started on a good note and now it was ending on one too.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain," I murmured, just loudly enough for him to hear over the residual traffic and noise of the city below, even with our nearness.

I felt more than saw his answering smile. "I love you too, Wise Girl," he said before his lips were on mine again and I could do nothing but kiss him in return, basking in the absolute perfection of the moment.

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**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it. I feel like Annabeth may have been slightly OOC during the conversation there at the end but hopefully not. Please let me know what you thought and ideas are always appreciated!  
**


	6. We Are Rudely Interrupted

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. Super fast update to make up for my lack thereof these past few weeks. :)**

**So I kind of just made this chapter up as I went and I'm not super sure about it but hopefully it's okay.**

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_**Percy**_

The warm, late-afternoon air engulfed us as my mom, Annabeth, and I stepped out of Whole Foods grocery store and entered the crowded sidewalk filled with New Yorkers travelling in every direction. The burst of heat was almost welcome after the extreme air conditioning in the supermarket (For whatever reason, grocery stores always felt the need to set their thermostats to subzero temperatures). I held two grocery bags in each hand, Annabeth had another two, and my mom held one. The latter had dragged us along with her, claiming that she couldn't carry all the bags by herself-which was actually a valid argument. Paul had had to be at Goode for the day to sit in some meetings and get some things in order in his classroom before the new school year started in just over two weeks. He was waiting a block away, picking us up on his way home.

My mom led the way, blending into the crowd and relying on us to follow. I fell into step beside Annabeth, who met my eyes and smiled. She gave me a once-over. "I can take another bag, you know," she pointed out, "It's not a big deal."

I shook my head. "It's fine." She continued looking at me, but not in the way she normally did when I did unnecessary things for her. After another few seconds of that, I asked, "What?"

She just smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. You're cute, that's all."

I smirked. "I try."

She snorted. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain," she laughed.

"Hey," my mom called, several steps ahead of us, "Keep up, you two." We'd managed to fall quite a bit behind her during the course of our bickering, short as it had been, and the crowd, thick with rush-hour traffic, had started to swallow her, which really wasn't that big of a deal; Annabeth and I were more than capable of handling ourselves in Manhattan foot traffic. She was just concerned about the ice cream we'd bought, in one of the bags I held, melting due to us getting back too late.

Annabeth shot one last playful glance my way and then picked up the pace to catch up. I followed suit.

I only made it about two steps or so though before an unwelcome, yet unfortunately familiar, shape caught my peripheral vision and had me stopping dead in my tracks, inwardly groaning.

I didn't have to even mention it to Annabeth. She stopped half a second after I did, her stormy gaze locked in the same direction. Of course she saw it too if I did. This was Annabeth, after all.

My mom, noticing our absence behind her as she continued forward, stopped and turned, her expression amused and only the tiniest bit annoyed. The crowds continued surging past around us, though more than one of them was unhappy about the roadblocks the three of us were creating.

"Guys? What's wrong?" my mom asked, her voice growing closer as she, I guessed, neared us again. I wasn't paying attention to her though. My eyes were set on the figure I'd noticed before, towering over the crowds and, even from a distance, ugly, awful, and recognizable.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," I said to Annabeth.

"Wish I could," was her response.

On the other side of the street, several blocks ahead, was an eight-foot tall, pointy-toothed, Laistrygonian giant, undoubtedly. As we looked at it, it seemed to catch our scent, because it went from looking in the wrong direction completely to heading straight for us, a grisly grin spreading across his gruesome face.

I heaved a sigh, which turned into a groan for good measure, and turned to my mother who, by now, stood right next to me. Judging by her expression, I knew she saw what we did. A few mortals slowed and turned to look in the same direction we did as they passed, but they clearly didn't see anything worth noting because they all gave up after a few seconds, cast the three of us a number of strange glances, and continued on their way, sometimes grumbling amongst themselves as they did. Mom met my eyes and gave a halfhearted nod. "Go," she said quietly, "Be careful."

I glanced at Annabeth, saw the same lack of enthusiasm reflected in her eyes as I felt, and gave the grocery bags to my mom, because I didn't know what else to do with them, before drawing Riptide. Annabeth followed suit, pulling her knife from the sheath strapped to her leg. "Let's get this over with," I muttered.

This was the first monster attack we'd had since the Giant War. Most of Gaea's followers, those who hadn't been destroyed along with her, had run away with their tails between their legs after our success. We'd heard a few stories from other half-bloods who'd had run-ins with those few who were still set on revenge or their own twisted version of taking over the world, but things, for the most part, had been quiet. Apparently not for us anymore.

"We need to get away from these crowds," Annabeth said as we left my mom on the curb and crossed the street to the Laistrygonian's side. She had a point. There were way too many mortals around here to fight a giant.

I scanned our surroundings quickly, grateful, as I often was in these situations, that I knew New York as well as I did. I glanced toward the Laistrygonian. He was still a block away-the crowds were impeding his progress, but he was gaining fast enough. "Come on," I said to Annabeth and took off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from the giant and led her into the nearest alleyway. It connected to another so we we'd have a way out if worse came to worst. The brick walls of two buildings rose high on either side and except for a few garbage cans and some scattered old leaves and flyers, the alley was empty.

Annabeth surveyed it quickly, "Good thinking," she complimented. I shot her a grin. She rolled her eyes but smiled, shaking her head as she pulled her Yankees cap from her back pocket. Athena had restored its power after the war-a fact Annabeth was very, very happy about. "You distract; I'll attack from behind?" she asked. I nodded. That was our usual fighting style. She met my eyes, put the cap on her head, and disappeared.

Not a second later, the giant, who I now recognized as Joe Bob, the Laistrygonian from the dodge ball fight the last day of seventh grade, rounded the corner into the alley. "PERCY JACKSON," he thundered when he saw me, his face stretching into a horrible, pointy-toothed grin. "Ah, the Earth Mother would be proud I have found you. Where is your friend? I saw her with you. Annabeth Chase, I will find you next!" The muscles in his heavily tattooed arms rippled, but he really wasn't that intimidating at all compared to the things I'd faced lately.

"Yeah," I said, "Okay. Well, I don't know where you've been these past few weeks, but your _Earth Mother _is gone. We put her to sleep again. You lunatics lost."

"That may be so, but not all of her followers are cowards who run at the first sign of defeat. I will avenge her. And I will start with you!" And with that, he charged toward me with nothing but his bare hands for weapons. As uninterested as I was in dealing with him right then, I sprung into action, sidestepping him and slashing out with Riptide. He'd obviously been expecting something like that though because he evaded the blade, but only barely. He picked up one of the garbage cans and threw it at me. I rolled out of the way and it hit the wall behind me, exploding and sending trash flying in every direction. "You may have gotten away the first time, hero, but you will not be so lucky this time."

"You know, I've fought giants," I called, "And I mean _real _giants-twenty, thirty feet tall, not wannabe knockoffs like you-and they all put up a way better fight than you!"

Joe Bob roared in anger and threw another trashcan. I ducked and rolled again, avoiding it more narrowly than I did the last one. "Percy Jackson, I will CRUSH you!"

"Uh huh," I replied, ran, and slashed out with my sword again. This time, the blade made purchase. Joe Bob jumped back, but Riptide made a shallow slice across his abdomen, ripping his ratty clothes even more. It wasn't enough to kill him though. The giant roared-either in pain or rage, I wasn't sure-and swatted out with his hand. I didn't get out of the way in time and he caught me on the back, sending me flying into the far wall. Hard. I hit the brick and then fell a good six or seven feet to the ground. My vision blurred and the air was knocked out of my lungs. Struggling to breathe, I rolled over and saw the giant coming toward me, a look of victory on his face. He clearly was savoring this. He was just a few feet from me when he stopped and yelled in pain, swatting at nothing.

_Annabeth_, I thought gratefully.

Joe Bob continued spinning and swinging blindly at my invisible girlfriend, howling in pain at regular increments until, after about a minute, she must have found purchase for a deep wound and the Laistrygonian exploded in a cloud of golden dust.

Annabeth appeared beside me in the next second, Yankees cap in her hand and concern in her gray eyes. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, slowly recovering the use of my lungs. "I'll be better once I can breath again," I wheezed but sat up and leaned back against the brick wall I'd crashed into. "You couldn't have gone in for the kill about a minute earlier?"

"Sorry," she said, digging in her pocket for something, "He was moving too much; I couldn't find a good opening and you were doing pretty well… Until he threw you into a wall." She produced a baggie of Ambrosia, slightly crumpled but it would work.

"Yeah, you think?" I asked as she handed me a square. Now that I could breathe again, I was noticing more and more the pain on my back where I'd collided with the brick. I stuffed the godly food in my mouth and almost sighed with relief as the pain in my chest and in my bruising back faded.

"Better?" Annabeth asked.

I nodded. "What would I do without you?"

"I don't want to know," she answered, stuffing the baggie back into the pocket of her shorts, "Can you stand?"

"Yeah," I got to my feet and brushed myself off as best as I could. No need to give my mom any reason to worry that anything bad had happened to me. Riptide had already reappeared in my pocket after being lost in the fight. "Hey," I said, stepping toward Annabeth, who had finished cleaning her knife and was sheathing it again, "Thanks for saving my butt back there." I wrapped my arms loosely around her waste.

She smiled and responded accordingly, placing her hands lightly around my neck. "Anytime, Seaweed Brain." I leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss, and I would have been happy to continue to do so all day, except that we were in an alleyway that smelled like garbage and my mom was waiting for us.

We found her waiting almost exactly where we'd left her, sitting on a bench outside a florist shop with the grocery bags lined up beside her. She looked up when we approached. "All set?" she asked, as if we'd just come out of the shoe store across the street and not out of an alleyway where we'd fought an Ancient Greek monster.

"Yup," I answered and grabbed some of the bags off the bench. And then, just like that, we were traveling down the sidewalk again.

Paul was waiting for us in a parking lot a block away from Whole Foods and judging from his expression when we finally got to the Prius, he'd been waiting a while. "Where were you?" he asked my mom after getting out to help load the groceries into the trunk, "You said you were leaving the store twenty-five minutes ago. It's a block away."

"Yeah, sorry, Paul," I answered, "We got a little held up."

"Percy and Annabeth had to fight a monster," Sally explained as causally as if she were saying we'd met up with a friend, "And my phone is dead."

"Oh," Paul answered. He'd gotten so much better with the whole demigod thing over the past few years. "Well, I suppose that's a good reason." He cleared his throat, "Alright then. Everybody in."

We made it back home about twenty minutes later with the traffic. The rest of the night was, thankfully, uneventful.

And the ice cream was only slightly melted.

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**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Heart To Heart

**Hey guys! Here's chapter 7!**

**I wanted to write a Sally/Annabeth chapter, so that's what this is. It turned out a bit differently than I'd originally planned, but I actually like where it ended up going. Hope you do too!**

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_**Annabeth**_

"Basil, rosemary, bread crumbs," I listed, naming each ingredient as I pulled it out of the spice cabinet and placed it on the counter for Sally, who stood at the stove, turning chicken breasts over in a frying pan. Trying to remember back to the list of ingredients she'd rattled off a minute ago, I asked, "Any other spices?"

She looked over at the containers on the countertop before me. "Nope," she answered, "But would you go in the fridge and get Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese?"

"Sure," I answered and pulled them from the refrigerator drawer before setting them beside the spices. I stepped around her to where the pot of water I'd set on the burner earlier was now boiling, opened the box of spaghetti waiting on the counter beside it, and poured the contents in. Sally stirred it a few times while I went to work on dicing the tomatoes waiting atop the cutting board beside to the stove.

Paul had left a little while ago to head to the hardware store downtown for some nails in order to fix the trim outside his and Sally's bedroom and Percy had tagged along, leaving Sally and me home alone to conquer dinner: chicken parmesan. I liked working with Sally; she was, undoubtedly, the sweetest lady in the world. Over the last few years, especially during the months Percy had been missing, we'd spent a lot of time together and she'd more or less adopted me as a welcome member of her family-a good thing too, seeing as I was dating her son and all.

"Here, Annabeth," she said, "Take over here, would you? I'll get started on the sauce." We switched places; I took over cooking the chicken for her and she appropriated my knife and resumed dicing the tomatoes and tossing them into a saucepan. She moved at a much faster rate than I had been, which was probably why she'd wanted to swap, but that was fine with me. I had more skill and practice with knives than anyone my age should come ever close to having, but my experience in the kitchen prior to my moving in with Percy and his parents had been limited at best. Sally was a good teacher and I as learning my way around a cookbook pretty quickly, but she was, and would always be, the superior cook.

She finished with the tomatoes and began gathering other ingredients to make the spaghetti sauce while I topped each piece of chicken with cheese. I tossed my hair out of my face for what felt like the tenth time in a minute or two. I wore it loose for once and it kept sliding into my face as I was trying to work-exactly why I usually wore it tied back. The same strand fell forward again almost immediately and I was about to wipe my hands off and put my hair up when Sally, who must have noticed the problem I was having, stopped behind me and pulled it back out of my face for me. "Thanks," I told her, surprised by how motherly the action and how natural it seemed. I still wasn't used to it.

"Of course, honey," she replied, procuring a hair tie from thin air and securing my curls into a ponytail, "That looked like it was getting annoying."

I laughed, "It was." She tapped my shoulder to let me know she was done before resuming her position beside me to continue making the sauce with her newly acquired ingredients.

"So," she said, "Ready for school next week?"

I smirked, "Yeah. I just wish we'd gotten a little more time this summer that didn't include questing and saving the world."

Sally nodded understandingly. There wasn't much she could really say to that, so she switched to a more normal topic. "Have you ever gone to a public school before?"

"Not since kindergarten, no." Public school was where the monsters were, disguised as teachers, or coaches, or janitors, lying in wait for unknowing demigods to cross their path. My father, though he certainly wouldn't win any awards for good parenting, had still known better than to send me there.

This year though, senior year, I would be attending Goode High School with Percy. Goode was a public school, but with Paul a teacher there, we would be in good company. And if _Percy_ could make it more than a year there without major incident, anyone could.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with it?" She asked, looking at me as she stirred. Percy and I had already been through this prior to registering for the year at Goode, but Sally's concern, as always, was touching, even if I was still getting used to it. She continued, "There are other schools in the area-private ones. I could arrange with your dad-"

"No, no, it's okay," I interrupted, "It's fine. I really don't mind. Besides, I'd rather not leave Percy to fend for himself there if I have another choice." Sally smiled down at the food she was preparing when I said this, "You never know what can happen."

"That's true. He's gone more than an entire school year without being expelled. He's already pushing his luck." Her tone was light and loving, like she wasn't at all bothered by the numerous schools Percy had been kicked out of. But I supposed that was one of the many great things about Sally Blowfis. She understood the difficulties Percy faced as a demigod and took it all in stride.

She also happened to be right. Eventually something was going to happen-something always did-and it would definitely end better for everyone involved if Percy didn't have to deal with it by himself.

Sally's smile softened. "I'm happy you're here, honey," she said, "And I'm glad you guys have each other. Especially after everything that's happened." She paused, her grin widening. "He really loves you, you know," Her tone was proud and the slightest bit wistful.

I smiled, looking down at the chicken, which was almost done. "I know. I love him too."

"Oh, I know." I wondered if she was thinking of the many days I'd spent here with her, talking-and crying-when Percy had been kidnapped. "I still don't know what took him so long in the first place."

I laughed. "You and me both." It had driven me crazy, waiting for him to make a move. And I apparently wasn't the only one.

"The two of you," Sally shook her head, musing half to herself, "I've never seen anything like the two of you. You share something very deep and very special."

"We've been through a lot together."

"Believe me, I know. It's still incredible though." Her voice was soft. She cast me a sidelong glance, still smiling, before growing serious. "Percy told me he fell into Tartarus with you willingly." We had run through the events of the quest to Greece with Sally and Paul after coming home, but the actual specifics of how we'd fallen hadn't really been discussed. That must have been another conversation, one I had not been privy to.

I nodded. I still felt guilty that Percy had fallen in with me. "Yeah, he did. I would have fallen either way, but he could have let me go and saved himself. Of course he didn't though. He voluntarily fell in with me instead." I paused for a second, fighting the awful memories that threatened to overwhelm me even now, before adding, "He didn't want us to be separated anymore." At the time, I had been horrified, but thinking back on it now, even though Tartarus had been beyond terrible, I loved Percy all the more for what he did. I knew I wouldn't have made it out alive without him.

Sally was quiet for a minute. I turned my burner off and moved the chicken off the heat. "You know," she said finally, pensively, "I can't imagine the horrible things you two must have faced down there," She paused. "But I have to admit, after hearing that, as his mother, I'm really proud that he did what he did, insane as it was." She met my eyes, like she could tell how guilty I felt about it, "Percy's my son, and I know that the majority of things he does for others are crazy and dangerous, but he does what he does for the right reasons, and honey, I can tell you right now, with one-hundred percent certainty, that he doesn't regret what he did for a minute, falling down there with you. I know he'd do it all over again if he had the chance. He loves you that much."

I smiled, despite myself, looking away. "I know. He's also reckless and loyal to the point of stupidity."

Sally laughed. "Yes, that's also true. But you've both done incredible things for each other. Look at the six months he was missing; you worked tirelessly to find him. Drove yourself half-mad in the process. I know that might not seem like much compared to his falling into Hell with you, but it is." She placed her hand over mine. "You amaze me. Both of you. And I can't tell you how happy I am that the two of you are okay or how proud I am of you. I love you like my own daughter, Annabeth. I hope you know that." She squeezed my hand before letting go to take the sauce off the stove. She didn't seem to expect a response to her words, which was good because I honestly had no reply at all. Never had anyone said anything like that to me before. I'd always pretty much thought of Sally as a mother to me in her own way, but to hear her actually say the words like that meant so much more than she would probably ever know.

She looked at me and smiled again, and in that smile I could see that she understood everything I wanted to tell her right then but couldn't formulate the words to say. "Would you mind setting the table?" She asked, moving to strain the spaghetti, "Paul and Percy should be back any minute and I want to have dinner ready and waiting when they do."

I smiled and found my voice again. "Sure, no problem."

Five minutes later, I was standing at the counter beside Sally, holding a serving plate as she piled chicken onto it, when the door to the apartment opened. Perfect timing.

"Wow, it smells amazing in here," Percy praised, appearing in the kitchen a few seconds later.

"Chicken Parm," Sally said, "Annabeth and I have been busy."

"Yum," was Percy's response as he crossed the small kitchen. He kissed her cheek in greeting. "Paul left something in the car and had to run back to get it. He'll be up in a minute," he informed his mother as he took the now full serving plate from me and placed it on the table with the rest of the steaming food before returning and wrapping me in his arms from behind. "Hey," he said, resting his chin lightly against my hair.

"Hi, Seaweed Brain," I answered. Sally looked over at us, smiling as she always did when she saw us together. Her gaze lingered on Percy for a second with unmistakable pride and approval as she rinsed the dishes we'd dirtied and placed them in the sink, and I knew she was thinking back to our conversation. "Were you guys able to find the nails?" I asked him.

"Yup," he answered as the front door opened again and Paul came into view a moment later.

"Hey," Percy's stepfather said, appraising the meal waiting on the table, "This looks great."

He smiled at Sally, who walked over to him and kissed him quickly before returning his smile and saying, "We were waiting on you. Everyone take a seat."

"Yes," Percy voiced his assent, "Let's eat!"

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**I really love Sally's character. She's just super awesome. :)**

**Really quick, before you go, since I literally spent like twenty minutes the other day trying to figure this out and got nowhere, I thought I should mention it. So, is it just me, or did we lose a year somewhere during HoO? Because at the end of BoO (quoted in the summary of this story), Annabeth specifically says that she and Percy are going to spend their senior year together, which implies that they are going to be seniors. But HoO covers about nine months from December to August, which is only one school year and TLH takes place just a few months after TLO. So wouldn't that put Percy in the middle of his sophomore year when Hera kidnapped him and therefore, at the end of BoO, shouldn't they be going into their junior year? I literally couldn't figure out how that could possibly work, so I just went with what it said at the end of BoO and made them seniors in this story. But let me know what you think. Am I just missing something totally obvious here?**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Next update soon!**


	8. I Promise Annabeth Forever

**Hey guys! Here's chapter 8.**

**So, I'm not super sure about the ending, but I was running low on inspiration for this one. Hope you like it anyway.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_**Percy**_

"Alright, kids," Paul said as he and Sally walked into the living room, dressed up for their night out, "We're leaving."

"Have fun," I told them, having paused the video game I was playing.

"You too," my mom replied, "Be good."

"Don't burn the apartment down while we're gone," Paul added, grinning.

"We won't," Annabeth laughed.

At the same time, I smirked and told him, "No promises." Annabeth smacked my arm.

They laughed. "Alright," my mom said as Paul led her out of the room, "See you in a few hours."

It was the last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow was the first day of school and Paul had wanted to take my mom out one last time before things got crazy again with the new year. I'd considered doing something special with Annabeth too, but she was pretty easy when it came to dates-it was all pretty much the same to her by now whether we went out or stayed in, as long as we were both together, and I was tired from some particularly bad nightmares the night before, so we decided to just hang out at home. We had the apartment to ourselves. It could have been worse.

Once my parents closed the front door behind them, Annabeth picked up the book she'd previously been immersed in, having taken up residence beside me on the couch a half hour or so ago, and continued reading, her head resting comfortably against my shoulder. We were both quiet for a few minutes, engrossed in our respective activities, before I paused the game again.

I was playing Call of Duty. Paul had gotten me the game as a birthday present back before he'd known the truth about my parentage. I'd played it a few times over the two or so years since, when I hadn't been otherwise occupied, but I could never really get that into it. There was just something about actually being in a war that kind of took away the luster of playing a game about a war, but I was still good at it, so there was that.

I put the controller down on couch next to me and moved to wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me. She continued reading, ignoring me, which was a talent of hers. It was all the same to me though. I buried my face in her hair, breathing her in. I traced patterns on her arm with my fingers, which I knew drove her crazy when she was trying to focus. Which was exactly why I was doing it.

Sure enough, after about a minute of this, she sighed, not unhappily, and looked up at me. "Do you have any idea," she asked, "how _distracting_ you are?"

I grinned. "Yes." She smiled and rolled her eyes. "C'mon," I said, "We've got the place to ourselves, let's do something. Want to watch a movie?"

Annabeth just looked at me for a second, raising an eyebrow, before she laughed. "You are probably the only seventeen year old guy on the planet who equates having the apartment to ourselves with watching a movie."

"Is that a no?" I asked, smirking.

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "Yes, Seaweed Brain, we can watch a movie. But I'm picking it." She sat up, disentangling herself from me.

"Done," I said, getting to my feet, "I'll make the popcorn."

I took a step away but she grabbed my hand, anchoring me in place. "Wait," she said. She closed the distance between us and leaned forward to kiss me. I complied easily.

"What was that for?" I asked, grinning, when we pulled apart, my arms still resting lightly on her waist.

"Because you're cute," she answered simply, her expression giving way to the smallest of smiles, "Now go get us some popcorn."

"Well," I said melodramatically, tightening my grip on her, "_Now,_ I don't want to."

"Too bad," she laughed, removing herself from my arms, "If you don't do it, I will." She smirked. "Either way, there's no kissing involved."

"Alright, alright," I said, "You win. I'm going." She just smiled as I turned away and headed toward the kitchen. Once there, I grabbed a pot from one of the cabinets and began heating the oil while I tracked down the popcorn. It took some digging, but I found it in the back of the pantry, behind the newer groceries my mom had bought and piled in front of it. I poured the kernels into the hot oil, put the lid on top, and waited.

Annabeth walked in when the kitchen was filled with the sound of corn popping and I was taking the butter I'd melted out of the microwave. "Smells good," she commented, grabbing a bowl to pour the popcorn in.

"Yup," I agreed, "Did you get the movie going?"

She nodded, "Waiting on you. I hope you didn't care much about that game, because I didn't save your progress or anything before I turned it off."

I shrugged, "I don't care. What are we watching?"

"_The Imitation Game,"_ she answered, "Paul bought it a few weeks ago. He said it was good."

"Oh, okay," I said. I'd never heard of it, but the title didn't sound too bad.

"Don't sound so enthusiastic."

"It's not a documentary, is it?" I asked warily, because Paul and Annabeth shared an unfortunate interest in those.

She laughed, "No, Seaweed Brain. I know you don't like those."

"That's never stopped you before."

She smacked me playfully. "Stop. It's not a documentary."

"Okay, okay," I said, pouring the melted butter over the popcorn, "Good." I didn't need to see her face to know she was rolling her eyes at me. I salted the popcorn and we were good to go. Annabeth took a piece and popped it in her mouth. "Good?" I asked.

She nodded, smiling. "Good job."

Annabeth had already fast-forwarded through all the previews and paused at the beginning of the movie, so it was ready to go as soon as we were both seated on the couch with the popcorn bowl between us. She pressed _play, _snuggling into my side as I put my arm around her and I decided that even if the movie was terrible, I'd be okay.

_The Imitation Game_, as it turned out, was not terrible. I mean, it wasn't my new favorite movie, but it wasn't terrible. It was a true story about this really smart English guy who designed the first computer to break the codes that Nazi Germany used to communicate during WWII. Annabeth insisted he was a son of Athena, which made sense; I mean, the guy was literally a genius. He basically ended up turning the whole tide of the war and saving a whole bunch of people, which I could respect.

I probably wouldn't have willingly watched it on my own, but I had Annabeth and popcorn, so I was okay.

We stayed on the couch together long after the movie had ended and the credits had all scrolled through. It had grown dark outside and my parents would probably be home soon, but for the moment, the apartment was quiet. I was comfortable and determined to enjoy the last few hours of summer vacation.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Annabeth asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"No," I answered immediately. I cast her a sideways glance, "I suppose you are though."

"Are you kidding?" she asked, "I don't like school any more than you do." I stared at her out of the corner of my eye. "I just handle it slightly better," she added, smiling slightly.

I considered that. Annabeth was a half-blood and had the same problems I did with ADHD and Dyslexia. I supposed she had a point. I'd just always thought of her as someone who loved school, being a daughter of Athena and all, but really, she just loved learning. In truth, she complained about school enough herself. Demigods, by default it seemed, were just destined to hate school.

I smirked. "Fair enough."

"Besides," she said, growing serious, "After everything that's happened these past few months, I could stay right here," she nodded at my arm around her, "for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy." I shifted slightly to look at her full on. She continued, "We've been apart too much and I don't ever want to be again."

"What happened to becoming a big time architect?" I asked, which was probably a stupid and slightly random question, "Traveling the world and building monuments to last forever?"

She shrugged. "Who says I won't do that? But I've rebuilt Olympus, or some of it anyway. And," she glanced down and away before looking back at me, "I've walked through Tartarus, and I realized that no building could ever matter more than you and me. Maybe my architecture will last a long time some day and maybe it won't, but I want _us _to. And if I travel the world someday, I want to do so knowing that you're always here, waiting for me to come back home to you. I want us to be something permanent." She met my gaze again, her gray eyes swirling with the kind of love and vulnerability no one else ever saw.

"Well, I've got good news for you then, Wise Girl," I murmured, "Because I love you." I tightened my grip on her for emphasis. "And I don't plan on ever letting go." I continued to meet her eyes for a second before I kissed her: a good, proper kiss, with no one watching.

"So what's going on with Olympus anyway?" I asked after we'd pulled apart, "Have you heard anything?"

Annabeth shrugged against me. "Knowing the gods, they got impatient with the half-finished mountain and restored it the rest of the way themselves while Olympus was closed."

"Are you okay with that?"

She shrugged again. "Olympus is magnificent either way. I'm just honored that any of the work up there is mine."

"They did promise to let you rebuild it though," I countered.

"I'm not really that worried about it, Percy. Or surprised. Not after everything."

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who's fed up," I said, smirking. Thunder rumbled outside, but I really couldn't have cared less. I was tired of bending to the gods' every whim and wish and getting nothing but trouble in return. I mean, I wasn't about to join forces with an ancient evil and try to take over the world from them, but that didn't mean I was happy. After all we'd done for them in Greece, they hadn't even so much as thanked us. Typical.

Annabeth looked at me and her expression clearly answered, _You have no idea._

"So what would you do if they called on you tomorrow to finish the job?"

"You mean if I didn't have school?" she asked, "I'd get back to work and finish it. It's still an amazing honor, even if I'm less than happy about who it's for." Ignoring the second crack of thunder outside, she continued, going on about columns and arches and different building materials for different buildings, and I tried to listen, I really did, because I did care, if only because Annabeth did, but I was comfortable and happy, and my lack of sleep the night before was quickly catching up with me. I fell asleep listening to Annabeth talk about support beams for the Hephaestus temple, and I honestly couldn't remember a time when things had been more peaceful or I'd been happier.

* * *

**Okay, so quick disclaimer: I don't own _The Imitation Game_, though I did see it and it was pretty good. Definitely a movie Annabeth would pick to watch, but interesting! I also don't own PJO, though that should be pretty obvious, being that this is fanfiction...**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time. :)**


	9. An Uneventful First Day

**Hey guys! So Sorry for the wait. Two words: Writer's Block. I'm sorry.**

**That being said, this chapter is... pretty bad. Not much happens and I almost didn't post it, except that there is some important scene-setting information that will be important for future chapters. But it's a filler and it's probably pretty boring. Next chapter will be better, I promise.**

* * *

_**Annabeth**_

There wasn't much that was exciting about the first day of school, other than that it was the first day of school. And really, as you got older, it became less and less exciting.

All day, I'd sat through the same lecture, over and over, as one teacher after another had handed out syllabuses and had proceeded to spend maybe ten minutes actually going over the course before spending another thirty going over their classroom rules; rules that didn't actually change from one class to another and would either be followed or wouldn't, regardless of the spiel the teacher gave to go with them.

I glanced at the clock on the wall above the door for the umpteenth time and sighed quietly, moving to rest my head on my hand atop the desk while Mr. Wallace, my AP economics teacher, droned on about his strict _no cell phones during class_ rule. The clock hands were moving exceptionally slowly. It also didn't help that this was my last class of the day. I was almost out of here.

I actually didn't hate school the way most demigods, Percy included, did. I didn't particularly enjoy it most of the time, especially with all the added struggles that went with the territory of actually _being _a demigod, but with Athena's blood in my veins, I could never completely hate a place that provided me with the opportunity to learn things. However, the first day really did little for me and I was _bored._

And judging by the looks on the faces of the kids around me, I wasn't the only one.

I'd tried to pay attention, I really had, to be respectful, but gods, I'd been sitting through the same speech all day, and it just wasn't happening.

Goode itself didn't seem too bad. It was a big school, but so far the teachers seemed pretty nice. And I didn't know any of the students except Percy, but that was okay. Having mortal friends was difficult when trouble followed you the way it did us. I'd had a few in other schools in the past, but I'd never been able to get close to them the way I could with kids at camp.

My schedule this year consisted of almost all advanced classes, which was how I liked it. In fact, the only course I was taking this year that wasn't AP, and which I'd never attempt to take as AP, was English. I mean, I could speak it fine and write it well, as far as grammar was concerned, on a good day. But having dyslexia made spelling nearly impossible and reading in general not the greatest, so I stuck with the normal level for that. Which was fine because Paul, being an English teacher, had pulled some strings and had gotten me into the same class as Percy.

Now I wasn't a clingy, needy girlfriend that needed to be near him every second of every day or anything like that, but after the summer we'd had, I wasn't necessarily ready to be without him for the entire seven hours every day in a foreign school either. Tartarus had taken its toll, and while we did a good job at hiding it, there were some wounds that only time could heal, and healing was easier together. I just felt better around him.

Plus it was nice to know someone in class. Especially since, because our schedules were so different, Percy and I had different lunch periods.

I shifted again in my seat, leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest as my mind wandered. Almost against my will, I wound up thinking about Percy. I was pretty sure he was in Chemistry right now, and for sure, he was bored out of his mind.

I thought about camp, and the recent war, and how so much had changed as a result of it. Our friends, old and new, who were scattered about the country right now for the year. The ones we'd lost…

And I put the breaks on that train of thought before it could get any farther. That wasn't a topic I wanted to think about. The number of friends we'd lost over the years was just too depressing to dwell on.

Mr. Wallace was _still _rambling about how late work would not be accepted, which seemed slightly unnecessary. We were seniors in Advanced Placement. We didn't really need to be told that we needed to hand assignments in on time. Or we shouldn't have to, at least. I tuned him out again because I was getting annoyed. Mortals' methods of doing things did that to me sometimes. I was my mother's daughter, I couldn't help it.

I thought back to the conversation I'd had with my dad the day before last. It had been over a year since I'd seen him, and he wanted me to visit. "Maybe over Thanksgiving?" he'd asked, "You have a few days off school then, right? You could come out here. I'm sure the boys would love to see you; Theresa too. I miss you, Annabeth. We all do."

I hadn't given him a straight answer. It wasn't that I didn't want to see him. Things had been better between us the last few years, but he didn't know very much at all of what had gone down over the last year, and I wasn't sure I was ready to answer a bunch of questions yet. And while he wouldn't necessarily mind it if Percy tagged along for the visit, I guessed it probably wouldn't be his first choice, and I was not ready to be on the opposite side of the country from Percy yet. Not again.

It also slightly annoyed me that I was always expected to go to him, that he was never willing to make the trip to New York to visit me. Though, in all fairness, it was probably easier-and cheaper-for one person to travel across the country than for four to. But still.

But he was Frederick Chase and that was just how he was. I'd learned over the years that if I wanted any sort of relationship with him, I'd have to be willing to compromise.

Mercifully, the final bell rang then, breaking me out of my thoughts, dismissing the class, and cutting Mr. Wallace off mid-sentence. I gathered my things and followed the students out the door.

Lockers at Goode were assigned based on last name and grade. Percy's, though it was somehow in the same hallway as mine, was still a good distance away. Despite this, he was waiting for me at my locker with his backpack slung casually over his shoulder, meaning he'd already stopped by his own and packed up for the day before I'd even gotten to mine. I blamed it on the fact that his last period classroom was closer to here than mine was and he knew these hallways better than I did.

"Hey," I greeted him casually, shifting the binder and textbook I carried to one arm to turn the combination lock with my other hand.

"So I've determined that chemistry is going to be the death of me," was his response.

"Well that's a shame," I answered, fighting a smile as I opened my locker, "To think you've survived this long only to be taken down by element naming and stoichiometry."

Percy blinked as I slung my own bag over my shoulder. "Stoikey-_what_?"

"You'll learn how to do it. It's not actually that hard." I closed my locker and put the lock back in place before turning to face him. "Are we still getting a ride home with Paul?"

"Actually," Percy said, "I saw him on the way to sixth period and apparently there's this last minute meeting he has to go to after school. He said we could wait for him if we want, he'll be done hopefully in an hour. Otherwise we can take the bus." He didn't look particularly pleased at the idea. "Or walk. It's up to you."

"I don't mind walking if you don't." The apartment was only a little over a mile away. We could easily walk that.

Percy grinned. "I figured you'd say that."

"You know me too well, Seaweed Brain."

We were almost out of the building when we both stopped and turned at the sound of Percy's name being called. "Percy!" A skinny, perky girl with dyed-blonde hair rushed over to us. She paid me little attention. "Percy! Hey! It's so good to see you!" she said, and I kind of wondered if she planned to hug him or something. Judging from the way he looked at her, his eyebrow raised just the slightest bit, I doubted that would be well received. She continued, oblivious, "I'm glad you're back! We were all so upset when you left last year! It was kind of a big deal around here!"

"Uh, thanks," Percy told her.

"No problem!" the girl told him happily, "Well, I've got a bus to catch. Just wanted to say hey! See ya around!" And with that, she turned and was gone a second later, lost in the sea of students making for the exit.

Percy just watched her retreat, looking shocked and confused. "Do you know her?" I asked, amused.

He shook his head. "No, and that was really weird," he commented. I couldn't help but laugh at his flabbergasted tone. As far as anyone knew around Goode, Percy had moved unexpectedly across the country last year to live with distant relatives for undisclosed reasons and that was all, though surely people had made up their own explanations.

"Come on," I said, still smiling as I grabbed his hand, "Let's get out of here."

We got home about half an hour later, where Sally was waiting eagerly to hear all about our first day of senior year. It was hard to say whether she was disappointed in the lack of things we had to talk about.

I wasn't though. The day had been boring and uneventful, yes, but over the past few years, uneventful days had become my favorite kind. And besides, Percy and I were going to be together in New York for the entire school year. I was sure the Fates had plenty in store for us and I was happy to enjoy the relative peace while it lasted.

* * *

**For those of you who have not taken high school chem, stoichiometry involves determining the number of products and reactants in a chemical reaction... which still probably means nothing to you, but it's a real thing. I promise.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm sorry for the bland ending, and really the bland everything else too. Let me know what you thought (be gentle). Ideas are always welcome.**


	10. We Have A Midnight Chat

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!  
**

* * *

_**Percy**_

The nightmare started as soon as I closed my eyes.

_We were in the chamber, under the Emmanuel Building parking lot. It was dim, the only light coming from the hole we'd just blasted in the ceiling, and sticky spider silk was everywhere. _

_Annabeth stood before me, with an expression I'd never seen on her before-a mix of the worst terror imaginable and an intense relief. She was filthy, covered in dirt and spider webs, her clothes ripped and dirty, her hair a tangle of dusty blonde curls. Tear tracks traced their way through the grime on her face. _

_She was alive. Our friends ran in every direction, the statue their main concern. The cavern floor was collapsing all around us. But all that really mattered was that she was okay._

_Annabeth gasped painfully then and stumbled away from me. "What is it?" I asked. Hazel was yelling behind me, but I wasn't paying attention. Annabeth didn't have time to answer before her legs were swept out from under her and she tumbled toward the pit. I lunged for her, reaching out, but I wasn't fast enough and she went over the edge. Right before my eyes, she fell in and was swallowed by the darkness. Nico nearly tackled me to keep me from jumping in after her. My strength was gone, but still I struggled and cried out against the son of Hades' restraints before all the fight just left me and I could do nothing but stare into the darkness as Annabeth's cries grew farther and farther away and ultimately disappeared._

I jerked upright in bed, my pulse racing loudly in my head, the images of the nightmare replaying before my eyes in the dark room: Annabeth falling, her cries for help, the complete desperation I felt as she fell in and I wasn't there in time to catch her. It didn't matter that that wasn't actually how it had gone down-and thank the gods for that, but it had still seemed so real; it had still been indescribably horrifying.

I took a few deep breaths as my heartbeat dropped to a more normal range, the images fading as I fully came to and my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room.

I was alone in my bed, which I was pretty sure was not how I'd gone to sleep. Annabeth had definitely been beside me. I was sure of it.

I untangled myself from the covers and stood to look for her as well as to clear my head. The clock on my nightstand read _2:42_.

It didn't take me long to find her. The window was open and the September breeze blew the curtain back, revealing Annabeth's silhouette framed in the semi-darkness outside. "I thought this was _my_ hiding place," I said, climbing through the window and onto the fire escape, where she stood.

She shrugged, her back still to me, her hands resting on the railing. "I've claimed it."

I gave a small smile that she didn't see and came to stand next to her. "Couldn't sleep?"

She shook her head. "Nightmare?" she asked me. I nodded, staring with her down at the empty streets below. The main avenues a few blocks over were still alive, even at almost three in the morning. They never slept. I could hear the activity in the distance, and it was comforting, like regardless of how messed up our situations, there were still millions of people living perfectly normal lives all around us and we were still alive to see it. We were both quiet, standing there in the darkness side-by-side. "Do you want to tell me about it?" Annabeth asked after a few minutes, "About your dream?"

I took a deep breath and hesitated, the vision of her falling away from me, down into that pit, flooding my mind again. Had anyone else asked, I probably would have said no, but this was Annabeth. "We were back in Arachne's lair under Rome, when the floor started breaking apart and you got pulled in while everyone else was off trying to save the statue. Except, this time, I didn't grab you in time and you fell in without me."

Annabeth was quiet for a second, processing this, before she asked, "Did you jump in after me?" She tried to keep her tone even, curious, but I could tell that part of her wanted the answer to be yes, the part of her that still couldn't believe I'd really fallen with her in the first place.

"I tried," I answered, "I would have, but Nico tackled me and held me down." I glanced up, shaking my head, and looked at her for the first time, "Gods, it was so awful. I could hear you screaming as you fell and I know it was a dream, but it was so _real_-"

"I know," she said. I knew she did.

"What were you thinking?" I asked her, "When we were hanging there, before I fell in with you?"

Now it was Annabeth's turn to study the ground below. She didn't answer at first, and it crossed my mind that the memories were probably even worse for her than they were for me. I'd fallen willingly; she hadn't. This was the first time we'd ever really talked about Tartarus, or the events leading up to it.

"I was terrified," she said at last, "And mad at myself for not cutting off that _gods-forsaken_ webbing wrapped around my legs." Despite her words, I almost smiled at that. That was an Annabeth answer, through and through. "I thought I was going to die, obviously." She glanced at me, "That it was the last time I'd ever see you." She glanced down again and I moved my hand to rest atop hers on the railing, "And then I was horrified when I realized what you were going to do. But a part of me, a selfish part, was glad you were, because at least I wouldn't die alone." She looked up again as she finished, "I realized that you really must love me a lot to do something like that."

I just held her gaze for a moment, "Did you really think I was going to let you just fall?" I asked quietly.

She looked down at our hands, considering. "I don't know. I mean, logically, it would have made sense and I wouldn't have blamed you at all if you had. But I didn't expect you to fall in with me intentionally. At all."

"I'm sorry that I had to." She looked at me. "I mean, I wish we hadn't had to, that I'd taken you farther away from the pit or cut the webs myself or something."

"It wasn't your fault," she told me adamantly, "Percy, you can't blame yourself for that."

"I know. And I know it was necessary in the end anyway for us to close the Doors, but…" I trailed off, shaking my head. There had to have been another way. One that didn't involve any half-bloods walking through Tartarus, or Damasen and Bob getting killed.

And with that thought, I only felt guiltier.

"Hey," Annabeth said softly, breaking me from my miserable train of thought. Her gray eyes bored into mine, bright, even in the dimness of the night. "Thank you for falling in with me. I know that's probably an awful thing to say, but I would have never made it out of there without you. I wouldn't even have lived past the impact of hitting the Cocytus."

"You're welcome. Heck, you're more than welcome. I'd do it again if I had to. No doubt about it." I barely finished speaking before Annabeth had closed the distance between us and her lips were on mine. It was a quick kiss, nothing spectacular, but it was genuine and I understood how touched she was to have heard those words. She pulled away and hugged me.

For a few minutes, I just held her to me, neither one of us saying anything. Both our minds were elsewhere, reliving memories and moments that weren't necessarily good. But I was pretty sure we needed to have this conversation, for both our sakes.

"You don't know how helpless I felt down there," Annabeth said, still wrapped in my arms, "When that _arai_ poisoned you and you were dying." Her voice was suddenly thick with emotion. "I just kept thinking that after you'd fallen into Tartarus because of me, you weren't going to make it out." She shook her head against my shoulder. "And I would have to live with it, knowing you died because of me. I didn't think I _could _live with it." Suddenly I was flashing back to a different scene, over a year ago, on the Williamsburg Bridge: Annabeth crying out, blood soaking her shirt. I'd felt exactly the same way.

"I doesn't matter," I murmured gently, tightening my grip on her, "You don't have to. I'm right here."

She took a deep breath nodded against me. After a minute, she pulled away and stood facing me, meeting my eyes intently. "While we're talking about it, just…" She glanced down for a second before looking back, "Promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"What happened down there, with Akhlys and the poison, don't try anything like that again? Please?"

Immediately I felt guilty again, remembering how Akhlys had begged for me to stop and how I almost hadn't. Annabeth's face…

"Yeah, of course," I answered, "I'm sorry Annabeth. I scared myself too and-"

"It's okay. I'm not mad. I know if you had done nothing, she would have killed us, I just don't ever want to see you like that again. You're powerful, but you're _good_, and that's why I love you."

"I'm sorry," I told her again, "Trust me, it won't ever happen again. I hate that it happened at all; that I almost lost control, that I scared you-"

"I know. It's okay. We were in _Tartarus_. You're long since forgiven."

I took a breath and shook my head. "Gods, that was such an awful few weeks."

"Let's not ever go back there."

"Done." I opened my arms to here again. "Come here." She came and I hugged her again. "I love you, okay? A lot."

"I know," she said, her chin resting on my shoulder, "I love you too."

"Good," I said, letting her go and trying for a grin, "Cause I don't fall into Hell for just anyone, you know."

She smiled. "I know." She glanced inside my dark bedroom and back at me. "Come on. We should try to get at least _some_ sleep tonight."

I smiled and moved to follow her back through the window. "Thank the gods tomorrow's Saturday," I said as we climbed under the covers and I read the _3:28_ displayed on the alarm clock beside the bed. The last thing I wanted to even think about doing was getting up in two hours to go to school.

Annabeth just smiled, curling into me. "Goodnight, Seaweed Brain."

I smiled myself and pulled her closer. "Goodnight, Wise Girl."

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**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts. :)**

**Until next time.**


	11. Some Things Never Change

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter.**

**I feel like it's slightly scatterbrained at times, but maybe you could chalk it up to the fact that the speaker has ADHD? Maybe...? Or you could just blame it on me. I'd understand.**

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**Annabeth**

The living room was quiet, the only real noise the sound of my typing as I worked on the essay I had due for European history: a thousand words on the religion and culture of Ancient Greece. Needless to say, it was really easy. Sadly, I knew more than my fair share of Greek history, but in this case, it was really helpful. I just had to be careful not to include anything that couldn't be backed up by written text. Just because _I_ knew it was true, didn't mean my teacher, or any other regular mortal, would. That was one thing about going to school outside Camp Half-Blood; I had to worry about things like that. And to get anything less than a perfect score on an assignment about Ancient Greece of all things would just be unacceptable.

It was a Sunday afternoon. Paul was the only other person home at the moment. He was out of sight, sitting at the kitchen table, grading assignments from the freshmen he taught English to.

Sally had left about an hour ago to run to the post office and the grocery store to pick up some necessities for the coming week. Percy had gone with her. He wasn't normally fond of grocery shopping or being dragged on errands, but after being away from his mom for so long during the past year, he jumped at the opportunity to spend time with her. It was one of the things I liked most about him-how much he loved his mom. He really was a terrific son, even though he didn't think so with everything he put her through.

I shifted my position on the couch, crossing my legs under me and resting my laptop on my lap as I worked. My dad had given it to me a few months ago, when I told him I was going to school in New York for the year. It was a fairly nice model, though definitely a large step down from what I'd had before. Deadalus' laptop had been lost in Tartarus, along with the dagger Luke had given me as a kid. Both were huge losses, but that laptop had been irreplaceable. The technology and knowledge stored on it had been invaluable-thousands of years' worth of sketches and ideas from one of the greatest minds in history, gone. Lost somewhere in the depths of that hellhole, never to be seen again. Thinking about it made me mad at Arachne all over again. At myself too. I should have held on to it; kept track of it better.

I shook my head and focused on my work again. There was nothing anyone could do about it now. We were beyond lucky to have gotten out of there with our lives. That in itself was nothing short of a miracle. I'd take being alive with Percy over that laptop any day.

A few minutes later, I was still writing about Ancient Greece's "polytheistic theology" with its "hierarchy of deities" (which really made it seem way more formal and respectable than it really is), when the apartment door opened and footsteps and the rustling of plastic grocery bags could be heard coming inside.

"Annabeth!" Percy called, his voice growing louder as he neared the living room.

"In here," I answered back, not looking away from my essay. He appeared in my peripheral vision, standing in the doorway with said grocery bags in hand. I finished typing my current sentence and looked over at him just as he started to speak.

"Guess who we ran into on the way home," he said, grinning, as a familiar shape appeared behind him.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Grover, half a head shorter than Percy, greeted me enthusiastically. He'd long since given up trying to disguise himself as human-it didn't work so well anymore anyway. He wore a gray hoodie open over a green T-shirt with a recycle symbol on it, and nothing to cover his furry legs and hooves. His horns poked a few inches above his curly hair. I didn't know what the mortals saw when he was in public, but Mist was a powerful thing, and it never ceased to amaze me with all that they _couldn't_ see.

"Grover," I smiled, setting my laptop down beside me and standing to hug him as Percy left to put the groceries in the kitchen, where I could hear Sally and Paul talking. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, grinning. "I was in the area and I bumped into Percy on the sidewalk."

"You were in Manhattan? Is everything okay?" I asked. After Percy's disappearance, Grover had taken a break from looking for new demigods to search for him. As far as I knew, he hadn't gone back out into the field yet. As far as I knew, he was staying at camp to help rebuild after Gaea.

"Yeah, everything's great. One of the younger satyrs just called in for help. It's his first time being a keeper and he thought he found a new half-blood but he wasn't sure." He shrugged, "So they sent me to make sure."

"Was he right?" Percy asked, coming back into the living room and leaning against the arm of the couch, "Was it a new half-blood?"

"Yes and no," Grover answered, "She did smell special, like a demigod does, but it was different, not like normal. Or like you," he added, glancing at Percy. "It's hard to explain, since you guys don't actually know what you smell like."

"Did you figure it out?" I asked, smirking at his choice of words.

The satyr nodded. "Turns out, she's a Roman. Which is weird, because satyrs have never been able to recognize them by scent before, but I guess maybe since the two camps get along now, we can?" He shook his head. "I don't know. But anyway, we got word to Lupa and she's on it."

Percy nodded, looking lost in distant memories. "That's interesting," I said, "That should mean potential campers can be found faster now, with both camps able to find them and send them where they need to go."

Grover nodded. "For sure."

"I just hope it doesn't work the same way for monsters," Percy said warily.

I thought about that for a second. "I don't think so," I reassured him, "Monsters didn't really vary the way the gods did between the Greeks and the Romans, so they've probably always been able to find both groups just fine. I doubt us working together now changes much for them at all."

Percy nodded, looking reassured, "Well that's good." I agreed with him wholeheartedly.

Sally peeked into the room then. "I'm starting dinner," she informed us, "It should be done in half an hour or so. Grover, you're welcome to stay if you'd like."

The satyr nodded, looking delighted. "Thanks, Mrs.- er, Sally" he corrected when Percy's mother gave him a look.

"Anytime," she said, smiling at him. She glanced at Percy and then me, before leaving.

"So how's camp?" I asked once she was out of sight again.

"It's good," Grover replied, "Can you believe the prank wars have _already_ started though? I mean Halloween isn't for another, like, three weeks still."

Percy grinned. "That's the Hermes cabin for you."

"Yeah, I know. I just hope they don't accidentally set the woods on fire again. It got _way_ too close to Juniper's tree last time."

"Don't worry too much, G-man," Percy told him, "I don't think even the Hermes kids are dumb enough to do that again. They learned their lesson last time."

I couldn't help smiling a little at that. The fire really had been an accident, but it hadn't mattered. Cabin Eleven had made lasting enemies of the wood nymphs that day. The Stolls had complained relentlessly for months afterward about being pelted with acorns every time they came within fifteen feet of the woods-and they'd had the marks to prove it.

"I hope you're right," Grover said, throwing himself down in the armchair beside me. It was obvious he'd been free to make himself at home at Percy's for years-he did it so easily now.

"How _is_ Juniper?" I asked, moving back to my spot on the couch.

Grover perked up again instantly at that. "She's great," he answered, smiling, "She misses everyone, especially you guys, now that you're away for the school year, but she's really great." I smiled.

"Yeah," Percy said, still perched on the arm of the couch, "We'll make a trip there sometime, visit on a weekend maybe, when we don't have too much work." He moved from his spot then to sit down next to me on the cushions, moving my laptop out of the way. "Speaking of which," he said to me, looking at my nearly finished assignment, "Were you _still_ working on this?"

"Yes," I answered, taking the computer from him and saving my work before closing it and setting it on the coffee table, "I'm almost done."

"You've been working on that since before Mom and I left."

"I know. You weren't gone very long, you know."

"Still, you said it wasn't due until, like, Thursday."

"It isn't."

He sighed and shook his head, clearly refraining from smiling. "Overachiever," he accused, but his tone wasn't particularly offending.

"Hey," I countered, matching his teasing tone, "You could learn a thing or two from me when it comes to work ethic, Seaweed Brain."

Percy gave a laugh. "Believe me, I know."

Grover, who was more used to our bickering than probably anyone else, just took it all in stride. "If you only knew how bad it was at Yancy Academy," he told me, grinning.

"Hey!" Percy objected, affronted and smiling, "Whose side are you on?"

I grinned too and glanced at Percy beside me. "Bad?"

He didn't miss a beat. "Oh, terrible."

"Really?"

"Well, in my defense, that was a really awful year." He probably had a fair point there. That had been the year before he came to camp for the first time.

"You still nearly flunked." Grover pointed out unapologetically.

Percy shrugged, giving in. "Fine. But I've made up for it since then."

"Because I'd kick your butt if you didn't," I put in.

Percy smirked. "Exactly." I smiled, shaking my head. "We can't all be children of Athena, you know," he added, unashamed.

That conversation ended pretty soon after that and we lapsed into a discussion of camp again.

Immediately following the end of the Giant War, the Greeks and the Romans had adopted something of an Open Door Policy between them, which meant the two camps could work together to rebuild and reorganize after the war, as well as to institute the changes Jason had promised to implement in order to ensure that the minor gods and goddesses received the recognition they wanted. That, for right now at least, was pretty much a full time job, but, Grover told us, the year-rounders at Camp Half-Blood and the Roman campers were working together to get it done. It was the first truly peaceful thing the two groups had been able to accomplish together in hundreds of years. Chiron was overjoyed.

Honestly, I wanted to be more a part of it. But I wanted to be with Percy more, and there was no way he'd ever give up living with his parents for the school year. Especially not after having been gone for over nine months. Not even for something as history making as newfound Greco-Roman cooperation. And after our most recent quest, I was staying where he was.

A couple of minutes later, we sat, Percy with his arm around me, playing idly with the ends of my hair, as Grover recounted for us the results of the latest Capture The Flag game. The satyr had never been a huge fan of the game and its violent nature, but even he admitted it was pretty boring with all the summer campers and most of the seasoned veterans gone. Jason's team had won in about five minutes.

Sally's voice carried through the apartment then. "Kids! Dinner!"

Grover, unsurprisingly, was the first one on his feet. "Great!," he said, "I'm starving!" He was almost out of the room already by the time we'd even stood to follow. "Come on, guys!" he called behind him as he disappeared into the hallway and out of sight, not waiting to see if we were behind him or not.

Some things never changed.

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**Thanks for reading!  
**


	12. Annabeth Rubs Off On Me

**Hey, guys! A quick update for you. Again, nothing too exciting, but I really just wanted a chapter about Percy in school, interacting with normal kids because I just can't imagine him as one of those guys who's only friend is his girlfriend... That's just not him.**

**So anyway, hope you like it. And hopefully the conversation is okay and stuff. I, a teenage girl, do not, probably will never, and will not pretend to understand how teenage boys work or how their conversations with each other sound, but I tried my best. I think it's enjoyable, at least. Hope you do too. :)**

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_**Percy**_

Goode's cafeteria at lunchtime was, in a word, chaotic. A few hundred kids shuffling around, meeting up with friends, carrying trays of food, and just generally making a lot of noise.

My friend, Nate, and I sat at one of the tables near the corner of the room, where it was less crowded and only slightly quieter. Nate was a senior, like me, with light brown hair and the kind of genuine smile that automatically made him seem like a nice guy. We'd become friends towards the end of freshmen year when we'd been assigned by our biology teacher to work together on this awful project on cell division. Neither of us had had any clue what we were doing, but we'd managed to scrape by and get a C on it. Obviously, as far as he knew, I was a totally normal guy with a totally normal life, and I'd moved across the country during winter break last year to live with distant relatives who had no internet connection, which, along with my not owning a cell phone, was the reason I hadn't been able to keep in touch.

We had a few classes together again this year, including Government, which we had a test in next period. Nate had his notes spread out before him on the table, next to a tray of questionable-looking school food he picked half-heartedly at while he crammed, having forgotten about the test the night before. "Which amendment was women's suffrage?" he asked, flipping through the pages, "Eighteen?"

"Nineteen," I answered automatically, watching him in amusement and also a bit of sympathy, "Eighteen was prohibition."

He looked up, dubious. "How do you- wait, never mind," he said, waving his hand dismissively as he turned back to his notes, "You're dating a genius. Almost forgot."

I laughed and gave a shrug he probably didn't see. He wasn't completely wrong, and honestly, watching him now, I was kind of grateful for it. Annabeth had spent an impressive amount of time over the past couple of days tutoring and quizzing me in order to ensure that I was ready for today. I was pretty sure I'd learned more about the Constitution and all its parts from her in two days than I had actually sitting in class for a week, but that was Annabeth for you.

"It has its advantages," I agreed. Really, Nate had no idea.

"You know," he said, looking away from the papers again to scoop some macaroni and cheese, which didn't look particularly appetizing, off his tray with his fork, "Out of the two of us, I used to be the one who got better grades."

I grinned. "A lot has changed since then." Again, _no_ idea.

"Speaking of your genius girlfriend," Nate said, swallowing another mouthful of food, "Homecoming is in a few weeks. Are you taking her to the dance?"

"No," I answered, "Annabeth's not really the Homecoming dance type of girl. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just wondering. My mom asked me yesterday if I was going."

"Are you?"

"What, by myself? _No._"

I shrugged, taking a bite of my own food-a sandwich from home that my mom may or may not have made for me. "I'm sure you could find someone to go with you if you really wanted to go."

"Well, I don't. None of my friends are going or anything, so there's really no point."

I smirked. "Fine by me, man. You could come over my place instead. We can hang out."

"Won't Annabeth want to do something with you? I mean, she might not like dances, but Homecoming's still, like, some kind of required date night, isn't it?"

"Says who?" I asked.

"I don't know, common knowledge? Knowledge you, by the way, should probably acquire, being you're in a relationship and all."

I shook my head. "Annabeth's not like that. You know her."

"Well, not really. I only know her because she's your girlfriend, and even then, not that well."

"It's fine. Seriously. And anyway, she sees so much of me; I'm surprised she isn't sick of me already. She won't care. She probably won't even be _home_. She and my mom go out a lot. You can come over and we can play Call of Duty or something."

Nate raised his eyebrows, "Call of Duty? As in the video game you, for some reason beyond my comprehension, don't really like, even though you are killer at it? _That _Call of Duty?"

I picked up his pen off the table and threw it at him, smiling. "Shut up."

Nate dodged it easily, laughing. "Just checking." He opened his carton of milk and drank some before adding, "Careful though. I might take you up on that offer."

I grinned and he went back to reviewing his Government notes. I took a few more bites of my food before I spoke up again. "That looks disgusting, you know," I informed him, nodding at his tray of food that only vaguely resembled chicken tenders, mac n cheese, and a side of green beans. Big emphasis on 'vaguely.'

"Yeah," he replied absently, not looking up as he attempted to commit the Bill of Rights to memory, "It doesn't taste much better." I snorted, unscrewing the cap of my water bottle and taking a drink.

Nate's cram session only lasted another minute or so before he apparently lost patience, putting the paper down and pushing it to the side with a sigh. "Forget it. At this point, I either know the stuff or I don't. If I fail, I fail."

I studied him for a second, chewing on a bite of one of my mom's blue chocolate chip cookies, "You know, you could try studying," I told him, mock seriously, fighting to keep a straight face, "Like, at home. _Before_ the day of the test."

Nate, trying-and failing-to look unamused, smirked. "Funny," he said, "You're really funny."

"I try."

A few tables over, a bunch of burly athletes sat together, sporting Goode sports jerseys. The kids there, half of them on their feet, exploded in loud laughter and cheering for no apparent reason. They reminded me a lot of the Ares cabin, though on a much less intimidating and even more stupid-looking scale. Nate looked over, along with most of the cafeteria, and stared for a second, looking unimpressed at the display as they continued to laugh and heckle each other, completely unaware of the attention they were drawing. He looked away, snorted, and shook his head.

I had to agree. For every time Annabeth made fun of me for being an idiot, I had absolutely nothing on those guys.

The kids were still being pretty obnoxious, but on a slightly quieter scale. Having lost interest in the free entertainment, Nate pulled out his phone and lit up the display, checking the time himself before he showed it to me. Lunch was just about over; the bell would be ringing soon. Nate slipped the phone back in his pocket and began getting his stuff together. He collected all of his notes and replaced them in their binder before standing up to throw his trash away. I followed suit.

"So," he said, sitting back down again, "Did I tell you about my mom's _brilliant_ plan to throw Ellie a birthday party next weekend and have it at _our _house?" Ellie was Nate's niece, the daughter of his older sister. I'd met her once. She was a cutie. He continued unhappily, "So now I get to spend next Saturday chasing after a bunch of three year olds."

"I thought you liked Ellie," I said, just as the bell rang and we, along with everyone else in the room, got up and began making our way toward the cafeteria's exits.

"I do like Ellie," he defended, "She's adorable. But ten other kids her age, under one roof, all at the same time? My mom literally _asked_ me to help. Even _she_ expects them to be a handful."

"Then I guess it's a good thing you'll be there to help," I teased.

"No, see, this is where you're supposed to tell me that we already have plans that day or something so I can have an excuse to not have to be there."

"No way," I countered as we walked through the crowded halls, "Your mom and your niece totally come first, man." We turned into the hallway where my locker was so I could pick up the necessary books for Government, not already having them with me like Nate did. Annabeth was just closing the door of her own, having stopped to drop her Calculus stuff off before heading to lunch herself. She smiled at me as we walked past. "And anyway, I actually do have plans that day," I continued, "Just, unfortunately for you, with somebody else." We were heading to camp that day to visit, but Nate obviously couldn't know that.

"Gee," he replied sarcastically, "I wonder who they could possibly be with then."

I laughed and shook my head as we stopped at my own locker. Nate just rolled his eyes good-naturedly and leaned against the locker beside mine while I turned the combination. "I do have other friends aside from you, you know," I pointed out, pulling out the binder for class, "How do you know my plans aren't with them?"

"Are they?" he asked, amused, as I closed the locker again and relocked it.

They kind of were, actually, since we would be seeing some of them at camp when we went, but saying so could potentially lead to questions I couldn't answer, so I just played it safe and said, "Well, no."

Nate smirked, taking the win. "Exactly." We'd started walking again and were nearing Mrs. Hart's classroom, where she taught twelfth grade American Government sixth period. As we approached, his smile vanished, replaced by a look of dread. "God, I am so not ready for this test," he complained, "I'm gonna fail and my mom's gonna kill me."

"You'll be fine," I reassured him, hoping it was true. Nate was an average student, but his mom did get on him pretty badly if his grades slipped.

"Yeah…" He didn't sound particularly convinced.

We walked into the room, where about half the class was already there, some milling around, talking and laughing with each other, while most had their notebooks open and were studiously scrutinizing their notes before class started. "Hey, good luck," I told Nate before heading toward my assigned seat on the other side of the room from his-Mrs. Hart was the only teacher I had this year who still assigned seats.

"Thanks," he said, rather glumly, heading toward his own.

I figured we had maybe thirty seconds before the bell rang but I sat down and opened up to my own notes anyway, to skim through them myself. Annabeth had rubbed off on me, possibly worse than she knew, but it was probably a good thing. My mom, at least, was ecstatic at the B's I was now able to bring home in some subjects, and I figured that in itself was a good enough reason to keep it up.

And I might have been a bit happy about it myself too.

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**Thanks for reading!  
**


	13. An Unusual Morning

**Hey! Another chapter for you. I literally sat down and wrote this thing in, like, two hours. Hope you enjoy it!**

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_**Annabeth**_

The crowded streets of Manhattan moved past outside the windows as Paul navigated through the morning rush hour. It was early and the sun was barely up in the sky as we stopped at traffic light after traffic light on our way to Goode High. It was also a Monday, which didn't exactly boost morale. The ride had been a quiet one. No one had said very much since we'd left the apartment.

Percy, as usual, had given me the passenger seat and sat in the back, behind Paul, staring tiredly out the window. I knew how he felt. The exhaustion we were forced to endure was from more than just the ungodly hour public high school required us to be up at in the morning. Our sleep was still riddled with nightmares from Tartarus and the war. Being demigods, nightmares were a common occurrence anyway, but throw a trip through the deepest pits of hell in the mix and they reached a whole new level of awful. They'd gotten slightly better than they'd been when we'd first come home, but they still stole more sleep from the both of us then either of us was happy to admit.

Percy broke the relative quiet, looking away from the window and leaning his head back against the headrest of his seat. "Would it do me any good to point out how much I really just do not want to go to school today?" he asked no one in particular.

"No, sorry," Paul answered, sipping coffee from a travel mug as he drove.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Percy sighed, closing his eyes like he hoped to catch another few minutes' sleep before arriving at school. With him, it was definitely a possibility. The ride continued on in silence, the only noise the sound of the hustle and bustle of the city around us.

Being a teacher, Paul had to be at school half an hour before the buses started arriving, so, as usual, there were few students around when we got inside. Percy and I usually wandered around or sat in the courtyard or the cafeteria together before first period started. As it turned out, today, we wouldn't make it that far.

Paul had left us to head to his classroom after we entered through the side door from the teachers' parking lot. Percy and I had gone in the opposite direction. The hallways were deserted; aside from a handful of teachers in their classrooms, no one was around.

I wove my fingers through Percy's as we headed in the general direction of the cafeteria. He glanced down at our hands as I did so. "Your hand is freezing," he told me. He was right. I hadn't quite warmed up from the cold, mid-November chill outside. Percy's hands though, as well as the rest of him, always seemed warm and his fingers, intertwined with my own, felt good.

"It's cold outside," I pointed out. Percy, being Percy, took my hand in both of his and began warming it between them as we walked, in no particular rush.

"I'm going to get you some gloves for Christmas," he stated.

I smiled. I already had some, but it was a sweet thing to say regardless. "Okay."

"You kids are here early," a new voice said from behind us. We turned to see a middle-aged custodian, pushing a broom, standing in the hall. He was a thin guy, almost sickly pale, with buckteeth and dark eyes. I couldn't remember ever seeing him before. I hoped he was just new.

"Yeah," Percy answered, glancing at me, "Well, my stepdad's a teacher here, so we just ride in with him."

"Oh," the custodian replied lamely, "Nice."

"Yeah…" Percy replied slowly, glancing at me again. I didn't have a good feeling about this guy.

Slowly, we turned around to walk away. "I wouldn't go anywhere if I were you," the custodian said then, before we'd gotten further than half a step. "It would make things easier for everyone if you didn't, in fact."

"Monster?" Percy whispered under his breath, his hand moving toward his pocket, where Riptide waited. I nodded almost imperceptibly. It was looking that way. Even for a monster, this guy was about as smooth as sandpaper.

I humored him anyway. "And why is that?" I asked the janitor, ready to draw the knife I had sheathed on my ankle at a moment's notice. The hallway was, of course, otherwise deserted.

"Because I am hungry, Annabeth Chase," he explained simply, beginning to morph into something hideous, "And you two look like delectable morsels." His skin turned a dark, disgusting bluish-black and his teeth protruded even further from his mouth while his eyes sunk into his skull. A black cloak appeared around his back, which looked pretty interesting overtop his blue custodial outfit. His broom became a staff, pointed at either end.

"Uh huh," Percy said from beside me, "And you would be?"

"My name is Eurynomos. Not that it matters all that much to you; you'll be dead in a matter of minutes."

"Eurynomos?" Percy asked, "Isn't that a heavy metal band?"

"NO!" Eurynomos roared, his grip on his staff tightening, "Well, yes, I suppose it is, but I was here first! Those imbeciles had no right to steal my name for their stupid group." I took advantage of the custodian's distraction to discreetly unsheathe my knife.

Percy nodded sympathetically, "That's rough, man. You should sue for copyright infringement."

Eurynomos' eyes lit up. "I should!" He agreed, smiling a gruesome smile, "Perhaps I will, as soon as I finish up here. What a fine idea! For that, I'll make your death quick and painless."

"You're so kind," Percy replied dryly, holding Riptide, still in pen form, in his hand. He glanced at me quickly before looking back at the monster. He sighed. "You know, it's been a while since I've been attacked at school. And I like it here. Goode's a good school and I've almost made it. I just want to make it through the rest of this year and graduate. Can't you cut me some slack here?"

"Sadly, Percy Jackson," Eurynomos replied, "I cannot. Now, enough of this. I am hungry. You will die now." He charged then, his staff pointed at us, Riptide grew into a sword in Percy's hand, and the fight had begun.

We dodged the monster's first strike; I went one way while Percy went the other. "I've read about you," I informed Eurynomos as I sidestepped another of his blows, catching his retaliatory strike on the hilt of my knife. "You're a demon of the Underworld. In ancient times, you cleaned up battlefields by feasting on the flesh of soldiers' rotting corpses."

"Your point?" the demon wanted to know.

"Her point is there are no rotting corpses here," Percy put in before I could answer. Eurynomos looked toward him, giving me an opening. I stabbed with my knife, but the demon changed course at the last minute, and all I got in was a slice to his ribcage; nasty but non-lethal. Eurynomos yelled in pain.

"You!" he screamed at me, "I will take my time with you! You will suffer before you die!"

"Eury. Can I call you Eury?" Percy said, calling attention back to himself again, "Eury, why are you trying to eat us? We're not corpses, in case you haven't noticed."

"No, but you are demigods, which are the next best option. Mortals don't leave their dead on the battlefield for me to feast on anymore. They take them all away. So I have to rely on other methods for food. But not to worry, in any case, you'll be corpses soon enough."

"Not rotten ones," I pointed out, "It would take at least a week for us to start to decay that much in this weather. We won't taste very good otherwise."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to have to settle or anything," Percy told him.

Eurynomos seemed to think about this for a second. "No," he decided, "Freshly dead demigod flesh is better than no dead flesh at all. I am hungry." He readied his weapon again, "Now, _enough _talking. I have things to do after I kill you." He came at us again then, more viciously than before. Our time for talking was over.

Still, the actual fight didn't last very long.

The demon seemed mostly focused on me; maybe because Percy had become his friend with the whole copyright infringement deal, but either way, he always struck out at me first. Typically, when Percy and I fought monsters together, he took point as the distraction, while I was at the flank, going in for the kill. This time, our roles were reversed, which maybe wasn't the smartest thing Eury could have done, because, of the two of us, Percy had the longer weapon.

The demon stalked toward me, a murderous look in his eyes, but he paid Percy little attention for the moment, and Percy took advantage of it. Eurynomos was about to strike, probably hoping to skewer me like a shish kebob, when Percy slashed out with Riptide, slicing into the custodian's neck, almost severing Eury's head from his body, and the demon went down, looking betrayed as he dissolved into dust at my feet.

A handful of teachers and students who had arrived during the tail end of the fight rushed forward now, a woman, who I was pretty sure taught world history to sophomores, in the lead. She approached me, looking frenzied. "Are you okay?" she asked, touching my arm, "He didn't hurt you, did he? Oh my goodness!"

Confused, I just nodded, staring at her, wondering what she could have possibly just seen. She probably thought I was in shock. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she demanded. A bigger crowd was gathering and I noticed Paul had also arrived. He stood near Percy, who shot glances at his stepdad, to which, the former just nodded.

The next few minutes were the strangest part. The history teacher, who informed me her name was Mrs. Davens, brought Percy and me to the nurse's office, where we were looked after until the authorities arrived.

The official story, according to witnesses, was that an unknown man dressed as a custodian had cornered me in the empty hallway with the intention of doing some awful things. He'd tried to attack me. I'd put up a good fight, slowing his advances down, and before he could get very far, Percy had come to the rescue, armed with a 'baseball bat.' He'd gotten in a good hit and the attacker had run off-the police were searching the city, they told us. This left me looking like the innocent victim to a pervert's misguided intentions and Percy, the hero who had saved his girlfriend from a terrible fate. Goode High School was incredibly ashamed of what had happened. No one knew how the 'monster' had gotten in, but they would be taking extra care in the future to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.

Honestly, I thought the story had quite a few holes myself, but mortals tended to believe what they wanted to. After all, it wasn't the first time we'd been assumed by the media to be child victims of a dangerous criminal. For Percy, this sort of thing happened all the time.

I wondered what would happen when the police were unable to find the attacker. Maybe they'd assume he'd fled the country and was off terrorizing teenage girls somewhere else.

Overall, the outcome could have been worse. Percy and I were both sent home for the day and assured that all our missed work could be made up at a later date; the absences would be excused. I knew word of the incident was already spreading like wildfire throughout the student body and by the time we returned tomorrow, we'd be nothing short of celebrities.

Percy was just happy he wasn't getting expelled again. I couldn't really blame him.

A solid two hours later, after being smothered by well-meaning faculty and giving our 'statements' to the police, we were finally permitted to leave. Paul had been provided a substitute to cover his first period class so he could take us home. He'd looked nothing short of amused as we walked back out to his car. "So," he said, after we'd all climbed in, "Do you want to tell me what really happened?"

We did. Paul just took the whole thing in stride. It was impressive really, how well acclimated he already was to the whole demigod thing and all that it entailed. He'd really only known about it for two years or so. "Well, I'm glad you two are okay," he said simply, stopping at a red light, after we'd finished.

The car was quiet for thirty seconds or so after that, before Percy spoke up, in a total Percy-like manner, "I knew there was a reason I didn't want to go to school today."

Paul laughed while I just shook my head, smiling.

"Next time, maybe we'll listen to you, Seaweed Brain," I said as the light changed and Paul accelerated again, "Maybe."

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**So I literally scoured Google for a solid half hour before writing this, searching for a Greek monster that Rick hadn't already used in the books. He seriously used a LOT! And according to Google, that bit about the heavy metal band is true, in case you were wondering. :)**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you liked it. **


	14. My Mom Tells It Like It Is

**Hey, everyone.**

**First off, don't shank me just yet. I am SO sorry for how long this chapter took. I have my reasons and excuses, but they're pretty lame, so I won't even bother. I promise the next update will be much quicker. I just started school on Monday, so for now things are still pretty calm, but they won't be for long. So tentatively, I'm going to try for once a week. Updates may be more frequent or less frequent, but on average that's usually about what I can do once school gets into full swing.**

**So this chapter seemed like a good idea at the beginning, but as it went on, I feel like it may have gotten slightly rambly. So I'm sorry if it did. Having just started my senior year, I can relate to Percy's thoughts in this chapter, but I tried to keep it sounding like him as much as I could, rather than like me. Hopefully it's alright.**

**And finally, I know there was some concern with the long wait and everything, but I am NOT ending this story yet, or at any time before the official end. I've made this promise with every long story I've written so far and I will make it with this one too; I will not just leave you hanging for all eternity, waiting for an update that will never come. This story will have a true end and you will know ahead of time when it is coming because I will always tell you. So don't worry, I have every intention of seeing this story to it's completion. :)**

**Sorry for the long AN, but I wanted to address those points real quick. Now without further ado...**

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_**Percy**_

There was something about being the first one up in the morning, with nothing to do and no one to talk to, that inspired rare productivity for boring tasks. I sat in the kitchen, early morning light filtering in through the window behind me as I squinted down, fighting dyslexia and heavy eyelids, to make out the words printed in the copy of _Macbeth_ I held propped up before me on the table. It was an assigned reading book for English class, one that I wasn't particularly fond of, but then, I wasn't particularly fond of any English assignment. Still, Shakespeare wasn't exactly my forte.

It was the day before Thanksgiving. Annabeth had left after school the day before for California to visit the Chases, per her dad's many requests, for a few days and to celebrate the holiday with her family. She was flying home on Saturday afternoon, three days from now. I was happy she'd gone, that things between her parents and her were good enough now for her to be _able_ to go, but it wasn't without its repercussions; chiefly the small matter of our recent trip through Tartarus which had left us with scars that were still healing-scars that, incidentally, healed better when we were together.

After being woken up for the fifth or sixth time by nightmares, I kind of gave up on sleeping. That had been around six in the morning. I'd lain in bed for another half hour or so anyway, before abandoning the idea altogether. After the sun rose, not bothering to change out of my pajamas, I'd padded out to the kitchen, book in hand, determined to at least do something productive and quiet until my parents got up. Ms. Gordon wanted Act I read by Monday anyway and Annabeth would kill me if I didn't get it done.

That had been about thirty minutes ago. I had just started the second scene when my mom's voice sounded from the doorway, saving me from the words, which had begun floating off the page. "You're up early," she observed, coming to stand beside me. I looked up at her from my seat at the table and she ran a hand through my hair, which I'm sure was a mess, and down my cheek, where she let it rest for a second, her thumb lightly caressing the skin beneath my eye, which was surely shadowed-evidence of the fitful sleep I'd gotten the night before. I knew she noticed, but she didn't comment on it. "What are you reading?" she asked instead, her tone clearly making note of the rare sight she was beholding.

"This book for English," I answered unenthusiastically, showing her the cover.

"_Macbeth,"_ she read, "That's a play, right? Shakespeare."

"Yeah."

"Is it good?"

I gave her a look. "Mom, it's _Shakespeare_," I said, like that explained everything.

"Shakespeare is wonderful, sweetie," was her response.

"Maybe," I conceded, "But I have a hard enough time reading modern English. This is like another language."

She just smiled understandingly, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"What's like another language?" asked Paul as he walked into the kitchen, his hair damp from the shower. I held up the paperback in reply. "Ah," he said, bee-lining for the coffee maker, "Yeah, that one's never very popular with you guys."

"I'm going to have to Sparknote this, I think, " I told him, "Because I have no idea what's going on."

Paul laughed. "As long as you read the acts first, I have no problem with that." I smiled despite myself. The downside of having an English teacher for a stepdad. I marked my page and tossed the book lightly onto the table, satisfied, at least, with the morning's progress.

My mom headed over to the refrigerator, no doubt to gather ingredients for breakfast. "Have you heard from Annabeth?" she asked over her shoulder, pulling out a carton of eggs, "Was she able to get settled okay?"

"Talked to her last night," I answered, "I guess so. She'll probably call later." With California being three hours behind New York, it was only about 4am there. She was asleep now. At least I hoped she was, though I knew she likely wasn't sleeping much better than I had.

My mom nodded as she went to work on breakfast, which, from the looks of things, included bacon and eggs. Paul, manning the coffee pot, poured himself a cup and gestured to me with it. "Want some?" he asked. I shook my head. "You sure?"

"Yeah, thanks." I wasn't really a huge fan of coffee, and I was sadly used to running low on sleep. I'd been on too many quests by now not to be.

"Okay," he said and poured some for my mom instead, who accepted it eagerly. He turned some of the bacon over with a fork for her while she took a sip.

I looked up to see her regarding me, a slight worried crease appearing between her eyebrows. I gave a small smile. "I'm fine, Mom," I reassured her lightly, "Just tired." She moved to sit at the table across from me, holding her mug securely in both hands and resting it on the table before her. She didn't say anything at first, just continued looking at me with this odd expression on her face. I knew she knew what the problem was. She was my mom; I didn't have to say it. "Seriously," I added, "I'm used to it." That probably wasn't the best thing to say, but it was the truth and she knew it.

"You love her," she said softly. It wasn't a question.

I nodded, looking down, and after a second, replied, "Yeah." It was true. I loved Annabeth. So much that it scared me sometimes. But I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Not any of it.

My mom didn't say anything in reply, just continued looking at me, a small smile gracing her lips with that fond sparkle in her eye that she got sometimes when she looked at me; a distinctly motherly look. She stood up again, produced a stack of three plates from the cabinet, and joined Paul at the stove again. My stepdad looked back at me, gesturing with the fork in his hand, "Food's done, Perce, if you're hungry."

That was an offer I couldn't refuse. I stood up from my chair, realizing belatedly that I probably should have helped with preparing breakfast, and crossed the kitchen to where my parents stood. My mom handed me a plate and I served myself some of the eggs and bacon-still sizzling, grabbed a fork from the drawer, and retreated back to my seat.

"So, Percy," my mom said, her back to me as she scooped breakfast onto a plate for herself, "How's the college prep going? Are you and Annabeth all set to go to New Rome next Fall?"

"Yeah," I answered, "The admissions process there is a lot easier than normal colleges. I don't have to do very much. They already know we're coming."

"They really don't turn anyone away?" Paul asked, sitting down at the table. He sounded a bit dubious.

I shrugged. "No, not really. As long as you have godly blood, you're basically in. I mean, you have to graduate high school first, obviously, but that's really it."

He reasoned, "I suppose the university there doesn't have the normal competition as far as incoming students go anyway, given the small number of you."

"You'd be surprised, actually, how many Roman demigods there are. But you're right, it doesn't. They have more than enough room, so there's no need to turn people away. Plus, the Romans are all about learning and bettering yourself anyway, so it makes sense." Paul looked impressed.

My mom nodded, not speaking right away. I knew the whole thought of me attending school across the country was bittersweet for her. I was her only child, and I would be leaving her with an empty nest. On the other hand though, I would be going to college basically for free and I'd be out of the reach of monsters, so she wouldn't have to worry.

It seemed like a no-brainer, but I probably still wouldn't have considered it had she not had Paul now. I would never leave my mom all alone like that. I couldn't do that to her.

And it would still be hard, to be so far away for so long, on the opposite side of the country from the only home I'd ever known, but I would be with Annabeth in California for four years, away from monsters and, for the most part, away from what had become "typical" demigod life. I'd be able to live with some semblance of normalcy for the first time in years, studying something I was actually interested in, and, did I mention I'd be with Annabeth? It almost seemed too good to be true.

We didn't have set plans for what happened after that, though, long term, Camp Half-Blood would always come first in my heart, as it did in Annabeth's. We'd probably end up coming back after to brave the world as adults, but that wasn't for a while still, and for now, I was content to focus on the immediate future.

Paul continued talking to me for a few minutes, asking me about my intended major-Oceanography, like Annabeth had originally suggested what seemed like ages ago, with a minor in Marine Biology (I still wasn't totally sure what it meant to 'minor' in something, but Annabeth said it was important to have both, so I did).

It wasn't the first conversation I'd had with Paul on the subject of my plans for school, though, being a high school teacher who helped students along the road and saw them off to graduation and post-secondary education on a normal basis, I guess it made sense he'd be interested in mine. He'd been surprised when he'd first learned that New Rome offered such specific majors as Oceanography, especially considering their uneasiness of the ocean in general throughout history, but I knew if he'd seen the place for himself, he wouldn't have been surprised at all. There was little that New Rome didn't offer in terms of almost anything.

We had pretty much finished with our food by the time the conversation died down. My mom hadn't said much throughout the course of it-she already knew the answers to most of Paul's questions anyway, but she'd sat and listened, nodding approval every once in a while. A part of my brain noted how ironic it was, after everything I'd been through with school throughout the years, how much I'd struggled and hated it, that here I was, sitting in the kitchen, discussing with my parents my plans for college over breakfast, when just a few year earlier, I probably never would have given a second thought to studying anything beyond twelfth grade. Annabeth had played a huge roll in expanding my horizons, as did a lot of other things; so much had changed in just a few short years-a fact that was not lost on me, but I couldn't deny that things were the best they'd been in a long time.

I helped my parents clear the table and went to work doing the dishes for my mom. Paul had pulled out a newspaper and was flipping through it with moderate interest and she stood a few feet beside me, leaning on the counter and finishing her coffee. I could feel her eyes on me and looked over as I ran one of the dishes under the running water.

"What?" I asked.

She just shook her head as a small smile found its way onto her face. "I'm just really proud of you, Percy," she answered sincerely.

I smiled in response. "Thanks."

She continued watching me for another few seconds and sighed lightly. "I can't believe you're a senior already, going off to California next year. I feel very old."

I laughed. "You're not old, Mom." She just eyed me, smirking. "And I'll visit often," I promised.

"You'd better." Her tone was lighthearted, but she meant it. I just smiled again; scrubbing the pan she'd cooked the eggs in. I cast her a sideways glance, still smiling myself.

I had finished with the dishes and was arranging them in the rack beside the sink to dry when my mom spoke up again. "I just hope it won't be too quiet around here for _too_ long," she said with a forced seriousness, like she was trying not to smile, "Not that you need to rush or anything, but you should know I'm expecting you and Annabeth to provide me with lots of grandchildren someday."

The wet plate almost fell out of my hands. I looked at her, wide-eyed. _"Mom,"_ I said, in a scandalized voice. It wasn't like I hadn't thought about starting a family with Annabeth someday, _years_ from now, but I hadn't expected my mom to put it out there quite so bluntly. She looked completely unapologetic.

Behind me, Paul just laughed.

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**Thanks for reading! Next update ASAP, I promise.**


	15. Winter Weather Closing

**Hey guys!**

**I'm not really sure what this is or where it came from, other than that it's been so blisteringly hot here lately that I'm missing living in a state that actually has seasons... But it seemed like a cute idea, so I rolled with it. Hope you like it!**

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_**Annabeth**_

Ms. Johnson's twelfth grade study hall was completely silent, which was how she liked it. By this point in the school year, the students knew not to push it with her. She was one of those teachers who demanded that her rules be followed without question and didn't hesitate in the slightest to hand out detention slips to anyone who did otherwise.

This wasn't really much of a problem in my book, as there were really only two rules of study hall anyway: no talking and no electronics. Other than that, we could do whatever we wanted, though the idea of the class itself was to get work done.

My calculus notes were open on the desk before me. I had a test next period and I'd spent most of this period reviewing. I had the topic down pretty well and I knew what I was doing, but I was still grateful for the extra study time Ms. Johnson's fourth period provided.

I looked away from the handwritten lines of derivatives and integrals on the page, succumbing to boredom and ADHD for the moment, and also because if I continued to stare at the same numbers for much longer, my dyslexia would likely start acting up and result in a headache, which I didn't want. I knew how to do the math anyway.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my hands together-they were freezing. It was the middle of December; Christmas was in a week and a half, and New York was well into the cold temperatures of winter by now, which meant that Goode's classrooms were either kept _too_ warm or were freezing. There was rarely a comfortable middle ground, and Ms. Johnson's room was definitely the latter case.

I allowed my eyes to wander for a minute. The rest of the students in the room were all immersed in various tasks, some clearly more productive than others. One kid, a few desks to my right, had his cell phone out and probably thought he was being discreet as he texted someone. I gave him less than a minute before he was caught-Ms. Johnson had eyes like a hawk.

My gaze fell on the window then, where it stayed for a few moments, looking outside, surprised. There had been a few scattered snow flurries earlier in the morning, which had had the students excited about a possible early dismissal-the first this year, but it hadn't looked like it would turn into anything significant. Now though, there were at least two inches on the ground and it was quite obviously sticking. I wondered if the early dismissal idea actually held water. From the looks of things, the snow wasn't letting up anytime soon and if the administrators allowed it to build up too much more, it could potentially result in hazardous conditions once the end of the day arrived.

I looked around again and noticed that I wasn't the only one paying attention to the weather outside. Most of the students in the room were casting glances out the window every minute or so.

I glanced at the clock. There were still about fifteen minutes left in the period. Deciding I had studied calc as much as it could be studied, I put the math away and opened my physics binder instead, with the intent of starting the homework Mr. Moore had assigned for the weekend. I didn't get much farther than that though before there was a sound from the loudspeaker on the classroom wall-the unmistakable noise marking the beginning of an announcement. It was followed a second later by the voice of Mr. Williams, principal of Goode.

"Teachers, please excuse the interruption. Due to deteriorating weather conditions, students will be dismissed at 11:30, after fourth period. All after-school tutoring and activities have been cancelled. Students, please follow regular dismissal procedures and meet your buses or other modes of transportation in their normal areas. School will resume Monday on a normal schedule. Be safe and have a great weekend."

As soon as Mr. Williams had gotten the first sentence out, a quiet cheer had resounded throughout the room and as the announcement ended, excited chatter rose up among the seniors in the classroom. Ms. Johnson called for quiet, but her attempts were halfhearted. Everyone, it seemed, enjoyed leaving early every once in a while. I certainly wasn't complaining, though that did mean I'd have to take my math test on Monday now.

Christina, my lab partner, glanced at me from a few desks over and smirked before she cast a glance behind her, rolling her eyes, to the group of guys in the back, one of whom had actually gotten up out of his seat and was sashaying around his friends in a celebratory dance while they laughed like idiots. I snorted and shook my head, meeting Christina's laughing eyes again. Winter weather closings did strange things to people.

Having allowed the semi-controlled chaos to go on long enough, Ms. Johnson stood and called for order. "Alright, that's enough. Contain your excitement and quiet down. And Kyle," she said pointedly at the kid in the back, "Unless you'd like a referral waiting for you Monday morning, I suggest you sit down. Now." There were a few chuckles but Kyle wisely did as he was told. "Please find something to do for the rest of the period," Ms. Johnson added, sitting down again herself, "Preferably something productive."

I got through the first two problems of my homework before the bell rang and everything descended into chaos once more. I made my way through the door and out into the hallway, which was utter pandemonium. Early dismissals _definitely _did weird things to people. And the fact that it was Friday only added to the excitement.

Percy was waiting for me at my locker, coat on, unzipped, and backpack on his back. He grinned at me as I approached and held up a pair of car keys. "Paul said he'll meet us in the car in a few minutes. I told him we'd warm it up for him."

"When did you see him?" I asked, turning the combination on my locker.

"Just now. Mr. Bradley let us out early. I stopped by his room on my way here." I simply nodded my acknowledgement of that, pulling my own backpack out and filling it with the correct books before Percy promptly took it from me.

Just as I was shrugging my jacket on, Nate, Percy's friend, approached and, after greeting me with a simple, "Hey, Annabeth," proceeded to ask him about the essay the two of them apparently had due for government next week. I closed my locker and stood beside them, waiting. Percy, his eyes on his friend, reached casually out to grab my hand and I allowed him to take it.

They didn't talk for long, but I wasn't really listening either. I studied Percy while he conversed with Nate. His dark hair was in need of trimming; it had grown slightly long and was constantly messy-messier than usual anyway. He stood with one hand on the strap of my bag, which he'd slung over his shoulder with his own. His stance was casual, his posture carefree, with only the slightest bit of tension in his shoulders, the kind that no one would notice if they didn't know to look for it and which never actually went away because he was, in fact, a half-blood and did, in fact, have to be prepared for anything at any time; even if it was totally subconscious by now. The same tension that I knew I probably shared.

His green eyes were bright with excitement though, and more than just that of the weather-induced early dismissal, but just in general. It was one of the things I really did love most about him: his joy for life. Even after everything he'd been through, which was, by all rights, more than enough to warrant bitterness, Percy was never anything of the sort. He was happy and enthusiastic for each day, regardless of the circumstances, which, in turn, made me happy as well. It was one of the best things about him, though there were many. Watching him stand there, he looked exactly like what he was: a joyful person and a powerful demigod. And also the boy I loved way more than I probably should.

Nate had a bus to catch, so he quickly said goodbye and wished us a good weekend before hurrying off to join the throng of students heading toward the exit. Percy looked at me, squeezing my hand lightly. "Ready to go?" he asked. I smiled and nodded, and he proceeded to lead me down the hallway, in the opposite direction Nate and most of the other students had gone.

I was still looking at him from the corner of my eye as we walked, a small smile on my face. Percy caught me looking and glanced to meet my gaze full on. "What?" he asked.

I just looked forward and shook my head. "Nothing."

"Liar. What is it?" He'd slowed our pace to question me.

I met his eyes again. "Nothing," I repeated, smiling wider, "You're just so happy all the time. It makes me happy."

He blinked and then just shrugged like it was no big deal. "I'm alive and I've got you," he answered simply, "What's to be sad about?" He let the question hang in the air. Rhetorical as it was, there were actually plenty of answers to it-a fact I knew was not lost on Percy of all people. And yet, his words still made me smile.

Before meeting Percy, I'd never imagined there would ever be someone who could make me feel as loved as he did. We'd been together for over a year now and had been best friends for way longer than that, and yet it still affected me when he spoke like that; so open and honest about how he felt, the way I'd wanted him to talk to me for so long before it had even been a possibility. My heart still did weird things in my chest around him, a habit I wasn't sure I ever wanted to go away. And I could understand how he could be the way he was if he felt for me even a fraction of what I did for him. Because when I was with him, it didn't matter if the world was ending-and trust me; been there, done that-I felt like nothing could ever be seriously wrong again.

I could understand why my mother wasn't a fan of relationships. Love was irrational and illogical, and it made people act the same way. But I really had no intention of doing anything about it. Because while it was those things, it was also absolutely and totally worth it. It made people better.

We'd slowed to a stop in the now-empty hall, about twenty feet from the door to the teachers' parking lot. It was mostly quiet; the sounds of voices were muted and far off. "I love you," I told Percy, who still held my hand in his.

He smiled himself then in a way that made my day every time I saw it. "I love you too, Wise Girl." He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before gently pulling me forward toward the door again.

The snow was still coming down hard outside and the parking lot was slightly slick as we walked through it. We found Paul's car white-capped like the rest of them, buried in a couple inches of the stuff. Percy handed me the keys to start the engine and get the heat going, while he retrieved the snowbrush and went to work brushing off the windows for Paul.

With the car started and the heat on as high as it would go, I slid into the backseat and watched as Percy finished in record time. He opened the door on the other side of me and, after tossing the wet brush onto the floor, slid in beside me. His cheeks were flushed from the cold and he had quite a few flecks of snow in his hair, standing out against its dark color. He rubbed his bare hands together to warm them. His green eyes were bright as he grinned at me. I smiled back and, looking over his shoulder, saw Paul emerge from the building and start making his way across the snowy parking lot.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "You're like a kid on Christmas morning," I informed him.

He shrugged. "I like snow days."

"I know," I answered and held his gaze for another few seconds before turning to look expectantly toward the driver's door as Paul approached the car. "You're such a seaweed brain."

I didn't have to look at Percy to know that his grin widened. "And you wouldn't have it any other way," he pointed out, just as his stepfather opened the door and climbed inside the warming car.

Still smiling, I didn't reply other than to cast a quick glance beside me at Percy. He was right, and judging from the smug look his face had taken on, he knew it. And I had no problem allowing him to continue on believing it.

I'd have been lying to say otherwise anyway.

* * *

**Viola.  
**

**For those of you who keep up with my other story-thing, Little Sister, I know I'm way overdue with an update for that, so I'll do what I can to have that posted relatively soon. It helps that it's already partially done, so, homework pending, you should have that within a week tops.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. We Enjoy A Normal Holiday

**Hey everybody. I'm really sorry about the delay. Two words: Senior Year. It's madness.**

**This is actually a Christmas chapter, but since there are officially less than 90 days until Christmas, I think it will be okay. It's slightly short considering how long I took to write it, but hopefully you like it anyway. :)**

* * *

_**Percy**_

The winter sunlight streaming through my window woke me up from a pretty peaceful sleep and I blinked groggily up at the ceiling for a minute. It had been six months since the war and sleep had become a much easier thing during that time. There were still nightmares of course, those would probably never go away completely, but we could get through the night pretty regularly now and that was something I was immensely grateful for.

It was early. The light outside was still pretty weak, as if the sun was still rising. Had we remembered to close the curtains the night before and I not been a demigod programmed to wake up at the slightest disturbance; I still would have been fast asleep.

Annabeth, whose head lay on my chest, her face half-buried in my T-shirt and turned away from the window; was still asleep. My arm was around her. Her blonde curls were spread across the blanket we shared and the silver light shining in reflected in its strands. I brushed through them gently with my fingers, watching her, lost in thought. The room continued to lighten and, after a few minutes, she stirred under my arm and shifted to look at me. "Good morning," I said.

"Merry Christmas," she replied lightly.

Brushing a strand of hair away from her face, I said, "It's our first Christmas together." Hera had stolen me away before we got the chance to be together for the holiday last year, and this year, I was determined to make up for that injustice.

Annabeth smiled, "I know. What time is it?"

"A little after 7," I answered, and, unable to wait any longer, said, "I have something for you."

"So do I. I'm sure your parents want us to all open presents together though. You can give it to me later, when I give you yours."

"I will," I said, sitting up and reaching behind me in the drawer in the nightstand beside the bed, "But this isn't your Christmas present. Not this year's anyway." She shifted to look at me dead on, suspicion and curiosity battling for dominance of her expression. I found what I was looking for-the small, rectangular box wrapped in red paper-and brought it around to show her. "I meant to give this to you last Christmas but obviously that didn't happen, and we missed your birthday too, so I just held on to it."

"I have last year's for you too," she protested, "I was going to give it to you later."

"It's fine. Give it to me later," I answered, holding the wrapped box out to her, "But I'm giving this to you now."

Annabeth, stubborn to the core, who I sometimes thought lived specifically to make my life extra difficult, just looked at me. "Won't Sally be upset if we open presents without her there?"

"No. And she knows about this already anyway."

She continued looking at me, an odd hesitance in her eyes. "You fell into Hell with me, Percy," she said matter-of-factly, "After that, you shouldn't have to give me anything ever again."

"It doesn't matter; I'm gonna do it anyway. And I made this before any of that. Just humor me. Please?"

She looked at me for another second before rolling her eyes and conceding with a small smile. She took the gift from my hand. "Thank you," I said, feigning exasperation, "Geez," at which, she smiled wider and tore open the paper.

She opened the box to reveal the woven bronze bracelet inside and her breath caught in a satisfying way. It was made from thin strands of Celestial Bronze, which I'd braided tightly together with tiny bits of smooth sea glass imbedded in it at intervals and a single small charm hanging from one side. "You _made _this?" Annabeth asked, holding it in her palm as she examined it.

"Well, Tyson helped. But yeah."

She met my eyes. "Percy, this is beautiful."

"It's also monster-proof, so it won't get broken in a fight. It's beautiful _and _strong. Like someone I know."

She grinned. "Well in that case, I could just throw it at the monster I'm fighting. I think it would work pretty well as a weapon too."

I blinked. "Well, yeah, I guess you could always do that…"

Annabeth laughed. "I'm kidding, Seaweed Brain. I would never do that." She fingered the charm-a miniature replica of the Empire State Building that was all Tyson's handiwork. "For Olympus?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, yes. But not because of Olympus itself. Not really." She was looking at me curiously now, waiting. I sighed lightly, looking at her. "It was where I figured out that I loved you. When we were up there, right after Luke died." I met her eyes. "Everything around us was collapsing and the only thing that really mattered to me was that you were okay."

Annabeth's smile returned. She looked down at the charm. "That was the day _we _began."

"Exactly." I agreed, taking it from her and fastening it around her wrist. "That's why I wanted it on here. I was thinking I'd add a charm to it each year, so you'll have one for every year we're together. Kind of like the camp beads, but for just us." I'd finished and was looking at her again. She looked taken aback at my words, like she was blown away by the thought I'd put into her present. She looked at the bracelet again, as if picturing what it would look like years from now, crowded with the memories we would share together.

She looked back up at me again, but didn't respond except to kiss me. "Thank you," she whispered when she pulled away.

"You like it?" I asked, grinning.

She smiled. "I love it, Percy."

"See why I wanted to give it to you now?" Annabeth rolled her eyes but smiled wider and brought her lips to mine one more time.

I thought the day was off to a pretty fantastic start.

At some point, soft Christmas music had been turned on in the apartment and I could hear it through the bedroom door, which was open slightly. "Sounds like my mom's up," I noted, my chin resting atop Annabeth's hair while she leaned her head against me, wrapped in my arms.

"We should probably get up," she agreed, pulling away just enough to look at me comfortably. "Thank you again for my bracelet."

I smiled, "You're welcome," and pecked her lips one more time. I probably would have considered staying in bed a little longer, except that the smell of food had started wafting through the apartment and I was hungry. Not to mention, my mom, who was an awesome cook normally, went all out on holidays.

Smiling, I flipped the covers off my legs and stood up, waiting as Annabeth followed, and then, hand-in-hand, we made our way out of the room.

"Merry Christmas, Sleepyheads!" My mom greeted us when we walked into the kitchen. She was simultaneously preparing sausage and Christmas-colored pancakes for breakfast, while also apparently starting on the food for the meal later. She put the ham in the oven and straightened, coming over to hug the two of us.

I arched an eyebrow at her comment as she did so, glancing at the microwave clock. "It's 7:40."

"You used to have me up at 5am to open presents when you were younger. 7:40 is late," my mom defended." Beside me, Annabeth laughed.

Paul stood at the other counter, still wearing pajamas, along with a Santa hat on his head, eating a finished piece of sausage and brewing coffee. He grinned. "If only he was excited enough to get up that early for school now."

"When pigs fly," I told him, taking care not to mention the fact that I actually _had _seen a pig fly before. Annabeth, who was likely thinking the same thing, snorted beside me and moved to procure plates for my mom to serve breakfast on from the cabinet. Paul just laughed.

My mom, eyeing the bracelet on Annabeth's wrist, shot me a knowing look behind my girlfriend's back. When she spoke though, it wasn't about that, nor the second charm I had waiting to give to her later in the shape of a Roman Eagle, which Hazel had helped me make. "Did you ever find out for sure if Grover and Tyson are coming over tonight for dinner?" she asked instead.

"Um, they said they were coming," I answered, "But I have no idea what time."

"As long as they'll be eating with us," she replied, smiling, "I'd hate to think I'm making enough food for a small army if they won't be here to eat it."

"Oh, trust me," Annabeth put in, "If there's food involved, they'll be here. Probably sooner than later."

And sure enough, a little over an hour later, after we had all eaten and showered, the doorbell rang, and I opened the door to reveal Grover and Juniper, wearing matching green Christmas sweaters and beaming with identical expressions of joy and excitement on their faces.

That afternoon, gifts were exchanged all around and a smile was present on everyone's face. And despite the fact that our group contained two demigods, a Cyclops, a wood nymph, a satyr, and two mortals who knew the truth about all of them, it was almost like we were just a bunch of normal people, enjoying time together on a normal holiday just like everyone else. For once, there were no monster attacks, no prophecies, no explosions, no angry gods. Just family, friends, good food, and fun times.

It was almost enough to make up for missing out on Christmas the year before.

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**I promise to have the next chapter posted sooner than this one. And for those of you waiting for the Little Sister update, you should hopefully be seeing that soon too. Thanks for reading! **


	17. Family

**Hey guys...**

**I am SO sorry for the obscene amount of time it took me to write this. School has me so busy I don't know which way is up half the time and I honestly just forgot about it until this week. I'm going to make an effort to post more regularly, I promise. **

**Anyway, I originally had a totally different idea for this chapter and it just ended up going a totally different way altogether. I feel like Annabeth is slightly OOC too, but hopefully its not too bad. The next chapter will be better, I promise, but I really wanted to get this one posted. Hope you like it and thanks for putting up with my lack of updates recently. I really am sorry about that. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**_Annabeth_**

The letter was fine until it got to the last paragraph, which also happened to be the guilt-trip part. It seemed every letter had one lately.

My dad had included the usual update on life in San Francisco: himself, his work, my stepmom, the twins.

…_The boys are doing just fine. Middle school was a big adjustment for them, but they've adjusted well. Matthew had a band concert last week-he's getting pretty good with that clarinet. Bobby has another couple of months off from baseball until the season starts up again. Overall, they are both excelling academically, though I do wish sometimes that they'd have the same drive for learning you always seemed to. Maybe it's just an adolescent phase, but they are not fond of doing homework. I suppose I can't say that I was any better at their age. They do what they need to do though, like it or not, and that's what matters._

_They ask about you a lot. I wish you would call them more. I understand it's risky for you to do so, but you're their older sister. They miss you, Annabeth. We all do. Just think about that, would you? We haven't seen you since Thanksgiving and, again, you rarely call. I love the letters I receive from you, don't get me wrong, but it's not the same as actually hearing your voice; seeing your face, even. Just think about it. I know you have a life up there in New York with camp and everything, but you still have a family here. Our door is always open to you. You know that. You always have a home in San Francisco too. Don't forget that._

I finished the letter with a sigh, skimming over the last words again with mixed feelings of annoyance and guilt.

I was in the living room with Percy, lying across the couch with my head in his lap while he watched a basketball game on TV. His parents were in another room and the apartment was quiet; a typical Friday afternoon. The letter had come in the mail that morning and was waiting for me when I got home.

Things with my family had been better over the past few years. We kept in touch regularly and I visited as often as I could, which wasn't as often as they would have liked. I loved the Chases, but though they tried, even my dad still just didn't understand. As much as I hated to admit it, that was one of the reasons why living with Percy was so nice. His parents, especially Sally, _did_ understand. Being a demigod was so much easier around them. There was so much less pressure. They didn't expect normalcy the way my parents always had.

"You okay?" Percy asked, looking down at me.

I nodded halfheartedly, still staring at the paper in my hands. "I just wish he could write _one _letter that didn't end in a guilt-trip."

He made a sympathetic face. "He's trying."

I sighed. "I know. He just…"

"Doesn't get it," Percy supplied.

"Exactly."

The sound cheering erupted from the screen and he looked back at the TV as one of the teams scored a basket, before turning to me again. "Don't worry about it," Percy told me gently.

"I'm going to have to visit them again sometime soon," I intoned, still skimming over my father's words, "My dad wants to see me again and between his job and the twins' school stuff, they'd never be able to make the trip here."

"So visit them," he replied easily, "I'll go with you if you want. It's been a while since we've been to Camp Jupiter too. We can do both." He said it so simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We can't just up and leave, Percy," I replied, refolding the paper in my hand. "There's too much going on right now. My dad knows that."

Sally appeared in the doorway then. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said.

"You're not," Percy assured her.

I must have still looked slightly troubled because she zeroed in on me and asked, "Is everything okay?"

I nodded, slightly awkwardly, with my head still in Percy's lap and gestured to the letter in my hand. "My dad wants me to visit. Again. And I can't go right now." I didn't have to say anything else for her to know what I meant.

Sally gave an understanding nod. " He just misses you," she said reassuringly, "I'm sure the fact that you're graduating high school this year isn't lost on him." She gave a light shrug and smiled, "Parents get weird when their kids grow up." Her glance moved to her son, possibly subconsciously, for a second then. He smirked and she returned to looking at me. "It'll be okay."

I smiled myself too, which Sally took as the okay to move on. "Anyway," she said, "I just wanted to let you two know that I'm heading out to run some errands. Paul's here if you need anything."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom," Percy said. When she was gone, his basketball game all but forgotten, he plucked up a strand of my unbound hair and began twirling it casually between his fingers. "What are you thinking?" he asked after a minute of quiet.

I waited a second or two, listening to the sound of the front door opening and the muted voices of Percy's parents in the hallway, before answering, "About what your mom said. My dad… I mean things with my family are better now, but he still missed a lot of important years back when they weren't." I shrugged. "I guess he's trying to make up for it now." I was also thinking that maybe I should cut him some slack. Even if his methods were a bit coarse at times, he was trying, and that was more than I could have hoped for only a few years before.

Percy shrugged a shoulder. "Like my mom said, he misses you. I mean, you're still his daughter, even if you two weren't always very close. He loves you." He paused there and glanced down at me, a smile quirking at the corner of his lips. "It's not hard, you know."

I gave a small smile in response before quickly growing serious again. "I know," I answered, "And it's not that I don't want to see him more, but I know he'd have preferred me to live there for this year and I just…" I trailed off.

Percy, of course, understood. "You could have gone there for the year," he said, and hesitated for a second before continuing, "You probably still can if you want to. Second semester just started. Switching shouldn't be too hard, especially for you." It was almost pathetically obvious how much he _didn't _want that to happen.

I sat up and turned toward him to look at him better. "I _do_ want to be there," I told him, "But I want to be here more." I grabbed his hand in mine and studied it as I spoke. "Being apart wasn't an option for us a few months ago. As far as I'm concerned, it still isn't, and I don't know how my dad would feel about you living with us."

Percy was watching me with that gentle look in his green eyes that I adored; serious, mature, and loving. "You still haven't told him much about the quest, have you?"

I shook my head. The story I'd given my family upon returning home from Greece was about as watered down a version as possible. At the time, I just hadn't wanted to have to relive those events any more than I already was and honestly, I still didn't. But this also meant that the idea of my staying in New York for the school year wasn't his favorite. "He's more comfortable being on a need-to-know basis when it comes to that part of my life. I still think he sometimes prefers to pretend I'm just a normal girl."

"At least you're on good enough terms now to even need that basis."

I sighed lightly, leaning into his side. He had a point. Percy released my hand in favor of wrapping his arm around me. "I know," I responded, "I just hate the nagging. And I don't want him to think I purposely don't visit. I miss him too."

"I'm sure he knows that, but parents aren't perfect," he replied.

"I know." I smiled, though from the angle, he likely couldn't tell, "Yours are pretty close though."

"Well, now, yeah. But I put up with a lot over the years. So did my mom." He tried to keep his tone light, but I could still hear the resentful undertone in it. I knew he was referring to Gabe, the awful man who had been his stepfather before Paul. Percy didn't like to talk about him, but I rarely saw him angrier over anything, even after all this time. And from what Sally had told me and what little I could glean from Percy, I didn't blame him at all for feeling that way.

He was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thought. I put my hand casually on his leg and after another second or two, he added, "And your parents are really nice too, for the record. I know I don't live with them, but…"

"I know. I mean it's probably way less of a deal than I'm making it. I just wish they understood." I looked toward him then, cracking a grin, "We can't all have Sally Jackson for a parent."

Percy laughed, lighting up the way he always did when he talked about his mother. "Yeah, she is pretty great," he agreed unashamedly.

We were both quiet for a minute after that before he spoke up again. "Seriously though, if you want to live with your family, you should do it."

"You don't want me to do that," I pointed out, "I'd be thousands of miles away." The thought of being so far apart again, after so many long months of forced separation the year before, was a hard pill to swallow.

"Of course I don't," he answered, "But I won't make you stay here if you don't want to."

I gave a quick smile and turned to face him. "First of all," I said, "No one _makes_ me do anything, Seaweed Brain. You know that. And second, you and me, we're a done deal. I'm not going anywhere unless you go with me. We'll both be in California for college starting next year and my dad will see a whole lot more of me, but until then, I'm staying here with you." I smirked at him. "I go where you go until you make me leave."

Percy grinned and pulled me closer, wrapping his other arm around me as well. "That's not gonna happen."

I smiled against him. "Good, because I wouldn't go easily anyway."

His smile widened. "I know."

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**Thanks for reading. Next chapter as soon as I can, I promise!**


	18. We Have A Get-Together

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait... again, but with as busy as things are right now, I can't really promise anything faster right now. We'll see though.**

**Anyway, since almost the very beginning, I've been getting requests to have a chapter where the demigods all hang out together. Well, here it is! Hope you like it. :)**

* * *

_**Percy**_

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth, smiling, asked, standing to greet Rachel as the redhead approached the group.

Rachel, clad in a coat and her usual paint-spattered jeans, answered, "A little birdie told me you guys were all going to be at camp for the long weekend, and my options were to ether come see you or to go home and be with my dad who just signed off on destroying _more_ land." She shrugged and grinned as if her father's actions didn't bother her at all. "So I chose the lesser of two evils and came here."

I laughed. "Gee, thanks."

"Of course," she replied, taking a seat on the blanket beside Annabeth.

It was Presidents Day weekend and we'd decided all to meet up for the first time in months. Since the Titan War, winters at Camp Half-Blood were more crowded than they'd been during my first few years at camp, so the bunch of us were all on the beach so the year-rounders could go through their normal schedules without us getting in the way. Being the middle of February, the wind coming off the Sound was brisk, even with the weather controls in camp, but we'd come prepared with enough blankets from the cabins that it wasn't too bad. Not that I minded either way; the beach might have been cold, but it was still the beach.

Frank and Hazel had made the trip up from California for the weekend too and they, along with Piper, Jason, and Nico, sat around atop the blanket laid out in the sand. Reyna had been invited too, but she hadn't wanted to leave Camp Jupiter totally without a Praetor for four days. That made sense, I guess, considering what had happened last time, but still. I teased Annabeth about being a workaholic; she had nothing on Reyna.

"How's New Hampshire?" Piper, who sat sandwiched between Jason and Hazel, asked Rachel.

The Oracle sighed, "_New Hampshire_ is great, really pretty. Clarion Academy on the other hand is awful, but it's my last year, so I'm trying to make the best of it."

"Any plans for next year?" Annabeth asked.

Rachel shrugged. "Come back to the city for college. Major in art history. Be the oracle here at camp on the weekends."

Hazel looked at Annabeth and me. "And you guys are still coming to New Rome, right? I'm so excited!"

Annabeth smiled and nodded. "That's the plan."

"We'll have to head down to spend weekends together in California then," said Jason with a grin.

"Yes!" Hazel said, pulling a blanket tighter around her as a gust of wind blew across the beach, "Because It's way too cold here. I don't know how you all put up with this."

Beside her, Frank, grinning, shrugged and put an arm around her. "I'm from Canada," he pointed out with a smirk, "This is nothing."

Hazel made a face at him but settled into him regardless. "Well, I'm not."

"I've literally been turned to solid ice though, so I think I've still got you beat," Jason put in with a casual shrug, "Sorry, Man."

Frank laughed, "Fair enough."

Jason grinned, but shivered as if remembering just how cold being a human Popsicle had been. "So how's the Praetorship treating you?"

"Pretty good," Frank answered, "I like it. Reyna says I've got it easy because things were more difficult back when a certain augur was causing trouble every other day though."

"She has a point," Jason conceded.

Octavian's death was a complicated subject for the Romans. On the one hand, he'd been a legacy and a member of Camp Jupiter, but on the other, he had been a problem and nuisance for just about everyone there at one point or another. He'd also attempted to murder Gwen during my first war games and would have succeeded had Thanatos not been chained; so as bad as it maybe sounded, there hadn't been many tears shed over his death.

"What about you?" I asked, looking at the Son of Jupiter, "How's Pontifex Maximusing going?"

Annabeth looked at me before Jason could answer. "_Pontifex Maximusing_?"

"Well, what would you call it?" I asked.

She snorted and shook her head. "Not that." Everyone laughed.

"It's pretty cool," Jason answered, still grinning, "If you like all the gods pestering and arguing with each other over you constantly."

Annabeth and I exchanged glances. She was smirking. "That sounds about normal for us, actually," I replied.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure they all hate you, so that's not surprising," Nico put in.

Jason shrugged, "It's cool though. It lets me go back and forth between the camps so I can be a Greek camper and still see the Romans regularly too, while hopefully keeping the Olympians happy and preventing another end of the world, so, win-win."

"You should have seen the getup the Romans wanted him to wear when they found out about it," Piper put in, clearly amused at the thought.

"Romans are ceremonial. It was supposed to be an honor," Jason said and laughed, "It _was _pretty awful though."

"I'd like to point out that that wasn't my idea," Frank said, "I voted against it from the beginning. You're welcome."

"Thanks," Jason replied with a smile. He shook his head. "Leo thought the _toga _was a monkey suit." His smile faded the moment he finished, clearly remembering how his best friend wasn't there. The comment was met with silence for a few seconds as the loss settled back on everyone again. Leo and I hadn't been close, a fact I hugely regretted, and he'd spent a good deal of time furious at me because of what I did to Calypso, but I felt it too.

Hazel was the first to break it. "Have you… heard anything?" She asked in a tone that said she already knew the answer, "About him?"

Piper shook her head wordlessly. Most everyone looked at Nico after that who, rather than shirking away from all the eyes like he used to, simply shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "I've never felt anyone die that way before, but-I mean, death is death."

"Well, it's Leo we're talking about," Jason said, trying for optimism, "If anyone can find a way to bend the rules of death, it's him."

"Would you know if he came back?" Hazel asked her brother, "He had the death cure, right? There's a chance, even after this long?"

Nico just shook his head. "I don't know."

Beside me, Annabeth was quiet, studying the ground. She and Leo had spent some time together aboard the Argo II, and I knew his death hurt her more than she'd admit. I put my arm around her and pulled her close.

"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Frank suggested.

"Like what?" Rachel asked.

There was another few beats of silence. This time, Jason broke it. "Annabeth, I meant to tell you, I was in Olympus last week and I saw Aphrodite." This peaked my attention. Annabeth's too, judging by the way she stiffened beside me. The love goddess had taken more than enough interest in our lives these past few years. We didn't need her to take any more. Piper looked immediately uncomfortable at the mention of her mother too. "Don't worry," Jason put in quickly, noting the changes in demeanor, "It wasn't what you're thinking. I was up there to discuss a few of the minor love gods with her, but at the end of the conversation, she pointed to an arch at the entrance to the garden we were in and commented on how nice it looked. She said she wished you'd been able to finish the job up there because she liked it better than the old way Olympus had been and she was upset that Zeus had just magically put everything that wasn't finished yet at the beginning of last year back to the way it used to be instead of using the rest of your designs." He shrugged. "I thought you'd like to know that."

Annabeth shrugged. "I figured that's what they did. They weren't going to leave the mountain half-finished forever."

"Maybe they'll let you finish now," Piper said, "With the war and everything over now, there's really no reason why you couldn't."

"I doubt it," Annabeth answered. She smiled, "It's nice to know that what I did do was appreciated though."

"Of course it was appreciated," Rachel said, "I've never been to Olympus, but I saw some of your designs. They were _amazing_."

"You don't know the Olympians," Frank told her, "They're hard to impress."

"Either way though, some of your designs are up there," Jason pointed out, "On _Olympus. _Even if they don't let you finish the job, that's still a huge honor."

"Of course it is," Annabeth replied easily, "It was the opportunity of a lifetime. And it's probably not a bad thing that they finished the work themselves. It would probably still be underway if they hadn't, and I'll be in California next year. Going back and forth to Olympus from there would be a lot harder than doing it while I'm in New York."

That wasn't completely true. Annabeth had been pretty insulted when her work had been cut short and given up on, and she'd had every right to be. But I was the only one who knew that and she was content to leave it that way.

"Too bad you can't put that on a job application someday," Rachel commented after a second, "'Head Architect of Olympus.' That'd get you hired for sure."

"And probably institutionalized," I added.

Nico had been ignoring us for at least the last five minutes. He had a cell phone in his hand-maybe one of the prototype models the Hephaestus kids had made which were supposedly untraceable to monsters. He was glued to it, texting someone, and I had a pretty good idea who, judging from the smile he wore on his face. He looked up then at the group of us, most of who were finishing the architecture conversation, but stopped when he spoke.

"I, uh, I have to go," he said, glancing at the device in his hand one more time before moving to stand, "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Hazel watched her brother walk away with a quiet smirk. "It's nice to see him happy," she said.

Annabeth smiled gently too in a way that said she felt the same way, and then she turned her look on me in unabashed amusement, and I knew she was thinking about that awkward conversation at the end of the summer. At the time, I'd been shocked that Nico, who I'd always thought of as something of a little brother, had felt what way about me. Annabeth though had just found it immensely entertaining.

I rolled my eyes at her now and shook my head, smiling, while everyone else continued on with conversation, oblivious to our exchange.

It had been way too long since we'd all been able to get together like this, with everyone living in different places and going about their lives. We definitely needed to do it more often. It was nice to get together and speak freely like this. We were family.

The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping when the conch shell sounded for dinner. We all stood and started gathering our things to head to the dining pavilion. Annabeth and I brought up the rear and walking up the beach, folded blankets stuffed under one arm, she laced her fingers through mine. "I'm gonna miss this place," she said.

"We'll visit," I assured her, "Spend a few weekends here and there. I'm gonna have to visit my mom often anyway. And we always have the summers."

"But even those won't last forever. Some day, we'll be too busy with work or kids someday to spend them here."

"You don't know that," I told her softly.

She was quiet for a second, and then she said, "Everything's changing for us, Percy. We're growing up. Have you ever thought about that?"

I nodded in the dimming light. "Yeah, I have. But not everything has to change just because we grow up."

"No," she agreed, "Just most things."

"Not things that matter. Not our friends, or who we are." I squeezed her hand. "Not this. _We _aren't going to change. Ever. And we can worry about everything else when it happens."

We'd stopped walking now and just stood at the end of the sand. The lights had come on in the dining pavilion, but we were far enough away from it still to hopefully still have some sort of privacy. I leaned down and kissed Annabeth, gently and hopefully reassuringly. "I'm tired of worrying about the future," I told her, "Let's just live for today. Okay?"

Annabeth stared into my eyes, her own bright in the waning light. She nodded and gave a small smile. "Okay," she said and brought her lips to meet mine again.

It was a quick kiss and afterward, she took my hand again and together, before we could open ourselves up for an embarrassing situation when they sent someone out to find us, we walked the rest of the way to dinner, content to enjoy the time we had here while it lasted.

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**So, yeah, a little fluff at the end there. Hope you liked it.  
**

**Thanks for reading!**


	19. Lunch Interuptions

**Hey guys! So, Thanksgiving break has allowed me some time to write. I might even be able to get another chapter up before the end of the week. :)**

**Anyway, so I got a request for a little action, so that's partly what this is. Hope you like it.**

**And also, a quick disclaimer, I have no idea how the street system works in Manhattan, so I based the ones used in this chapter off of what I could find on the internet. For those of you that are well versed in that sort of thing, please go easy on me.**

**Enjoy!**

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_**Annabeth**_

"Myra was able to sneak up from behind and take it out, but it was one of the harder ones we've faced for sure," Thalia said as she finished recounting the events of the gryphon attack on the Hunters' camp two nights before. "The thing was insane. It didn't help that our numbers are still down either."

It had been unseasonably foggy and the monster had caught the guards by surprise in the middle of the night. They'd been able to defeat it, but some of the girls had sustained some minor injuries in the process, so the Hunters were remaining in the area for an extra couple of days to give everyone time to recuperate. We had taken advantage of their extended stay and met up for lunch. It had been way too long since we'd seen each other.

We were at Le Parker Meridien, the hotel on West 57th that Thalia was convinced made the best cheeseburgers in the city. She wasn't wrong. Percy'd had plans that morning with Paul and he was supposed to be meeting us soon, but he'd told us not to wait for him.

The daughter of Zeus was wearing her typical Hunter attire: silver camo pants, black leather jacket, and silver circlet, the symbol of her position as Artemis' lieutenant, on her head.

"Has recruitment been down?" I asked.

"No, it's just not as fast as I'd like. We lost some of our most experienced hunters, so training is taking longer than normal too." She rolled her eyes up to look at me, a smirk playing around the edges of her lips. "Why? You interested?"

I laughed, "No, thank you."

"Because of Percy, yeah, I know," Thalia replied, unimpressed.

I smiled. "Not just because of him, Thals. I want a break from constant monster fighting and dangerous quests, and if I'm a Hunter, I'll never get one."

She considered this. "Remind me again which one of us recently took a trip through hell," she inquired then, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly," I answered, "After that, I just want some normalcy."

Thalia didn't seem to have an argument for that. She just sighed, apparently admitting defeat. "You know that was absolutely insane, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered, "It wouldn't have been my first choice, believe me. But I was falling in either way." I thought back to those terrifying, painful moments spent hovering over the chasm awaiting the fall that would lead to my death. "I told Percy to let me go."

"But of course he didn't do that," Thalia answered for me. "The guy's worse than a lost puppy on the loyalty scale. Especially when it comes to you."

I smiled. "He saved my life though," I pointed out. I would have died on impact the second I hit the Cocytus without him.

"Yeah," Thalia said with grudging respect, "That's why I can't say he was an idiot for doing it." She paused for a second before continuing more haughtily, "I also can't tell him that my adventures were more dangerous than his anymore because it would so obviously be a lie."

I laughed. "Nice to know you've got your priorities in order."

She grinned. "You know you love it. Speaking of Kelp Head," she continued, ignoring the look I gave her, "I'm guessing you two are as lovey-dovey as ever, seeing as you still won't join the Hunt."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "I have other friends and a life I don't want to leave behind too," I informed her, "But no, I couldn't leave Percy."

Thalia studied me for a few seconds. "You really love him, don't you?" she asked, like the thought of Percy and I sharing something more than just a mutual crush had never occurred to her.

"Yeah, I do."

She was thoughtful for a second. "That's sweet, I guess," she decided, "In a weird, gross way."

"Thanks," I laughed. At that same moment, my cell phone rang in my pocket. Only a handful of people ever called me on it, and never without good reason. The Hephaestus cabin was working on developing a monster-proof cell phone that we could safely use without broadcasting our location to every evil within a 3-mile radius, but the early models they'd made so far had a bad habit of not working or, in one case, of blowing up, so I was happy taking my chances with my regular one for now.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and read the caller ID. "Speaking of Percy," I said and answered it. "Hey, where are you?" Thalia went back to picking at her French fries.

"Hey," Percy replied in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "So, um, slight change of plans. Do you think you guys can meet me at West 54th and 9th?"

"That's only a few blocks away. What's going on?" I asked. Thalia was looking at me quizzically.

"Our old friend the Chimera is back," Percy explained, "I could use some back-up."

"Great," I said, "Alright, hang on. We'll be there soon."

"You're the best," he whispered and hung up.

Thalia was already on her feet. "What kind?" she asked.

"Chimera. West 54th and 9th."

"Super," she replied, fingering her bracelet, "Let's go." We left some money on the table to cover our half-eaten meals.

"What's that you were saying about a break?" Thalia asked, smirking, as we stepped out into the chilly March air.

"Shut up," I told her.

54th street was mostly residential, so it wasn't as crowded as most of the main avenues in Manhattan. Percy was waiting for us ducked just inside an alley between two buildings near the corner. The Chimera was half a block further up, in the middle of the street, impossible to miss. I was kind of surprised it hadn't caught his scent yet.

Percy beckoned us toward him. "Thanks for coming," he told us, as if we would have done anything else.

"You have a special talent, Kelp Head, "Thalia told him by way of greeting, "You know that, right?"

He just shrugged. "The Fates hate me. Tell me something I don't know." He grinned at her and she grinned back before he looked at me. "Do you have your cap with you?" he asked.

"Always," I answered, patting my pocket, already anticipating his next words "I'll get in behind it."

He smiled at me and glanced back at Thalia. "I'll take left flank, you take right?" he asked. She nodded, drawing a hunting knife from her pant leg. Percy uncapped Riptide. I drew my dagger, put my cap on, and left the safety of the alley, deciding my best method of attack. Percy did the same a second later with Thalia on his heals, and yelled another of his stellar insults to get the monster's attention.

"Hey, Torch Breath!" he yelled at the Chimera, "Remember me?" The second the monster laid eyes on Percy, it roared ferociously and sent a column of fire rocketing toward him. Hard to say whether it was because it actually did remember him or if it simply hated half-bloods in general, but either way, there was no turning back now. Percy and Thalia rolled out of the way of the flames and the fight was on.

With three-to-one odds, the monster didn't actually pose that much of a threat, though I could tell why Percy had been hesitant to confront the Chimera alone, and why doing so in the Gateway Arch in St. Louis had been so difficult. It was huge, and with a fire-breathing lion for a head and a ten-foot long, poisonous snake for a tail, it was very well protected, as well as lacking in a blind spot. The latter wasn't a huge issue when you were invisible though.

The Chimera, obviously aware of its advantages, played the game well. The head kept focused on Percy and the tail on Thalia, so left and right flank turned into front and back pretty quickly, but this really left me little to do except refrain from getting stepped on. The monster's entire left side was left wide open to me. Gripping my knife, I ran at the Chimera with the intention of burying the blade hilt-deep in its side. Things got slightly complicated then though. It turned sideways toward me at the absolute last second, taking Percy with it, and, in a blast of heat and fire, sent him hurtling through the air, close enough to knock the invisibility cap from my head, and left me dancing out of the way of the flames.

Percy hit the apartment building behind me with a loud sound of pain and slid to the ground, Riptide on the ground a few feet to his right. The monster, meanwhile, went after Thalia with renewed vigor while the serpent, which could now see me, spit venom my way. I dodged the poison spray and flung my dagger, which sank partway into the snake's eye. It hissed loudly and spewed acidic poison, but ultimately wasn't faring very well after that. The Chimera lurched forward then at Thalia, who jumped out of the way, but had the opposite building's wall behind her, allowing her only to go so far. She was pretty much trapped against it.

I let my instincts overrule my brain for a second then and did something pretty stupid. I stabbed the monster's hind leg with my retrieved, acid-eaten dagger and lurched myself onto its back when the injured limb buckled under its weight, which distracted it enough that it sent its fiery breath about a foot above Thalia's head, rather than directly at her face. She screamed at the intensity of the heat, but was otherwise unharmed. This left me in a pretty bad position however, perched atop a twelve-foot tall monster that definitely didn't want me there. Thalia had Aegis drawn and managed to roll between the Chimera's legs, which only resulted in the thing lurching sideways to find her, as well as to dislodge me. By some miracle, I managed to hang on, but the snake's poison had damaged my dagger too much for it to be particularly useful then.

Maybe five seconds had passed. Percy had gotten to his feet and was running back to the fight. I could tell by the expression on his face that he was looking for an opening, but with the injured serpent still spewing venom in random directions, there really wasn't one.

An idea struck me then, one that I was slightly ashamed I hadn't thought of earlier. Percy had no opening from the ground, but _I _wasn't on the ground. "Percy!" I yelled, throwing my hand into the air. Thank the gods, he understood immediately and, with Thalia carrying the weight of the distraction at the moment, threw his sword through the air in a perfect arc. I caught it by the hilt. Riptide wasn't balanced quite right for me and wielding it normally in a fight might have been a problem, but it worked fine for my purposes. Holding onto the jerking monster for dear life, I lifted the bronze sword and sank it right into its back and through its heart. The Chimera exploded in a cloud of golden dust, which, of course, left me to plummet twelve feet to the ground. I flung Riptide out of the way to avoid landing on it and landed on the asphalt, rolling twice from the impact. It wasn't the most graceful landing I'd made, but it sufficed.

Across the street, Thalia calmly retracted her shield. Percy approached me, my fallen Yankees cap in one hand, and helped me to my feet, wincing slightly in the process. The ends of his hair were singed. "You okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "I think I bruised a rib or two. I'm fine. You?" I nodded back. He grinned slightly then. "That move back there-"

"Yeah, I know," I interrupted, "It was stupid."

Percy smiled wider. "It's something I probably would have done."

I sighed. "I know. I think you're rubbing off on me. It won't happen again."

He shrugged, still grinning. "Your secret's safe with me." I didn't reply then, only preceded in wiping the monster dust from the sleeves of my jacket.

Thalia walked over then, sheathing her hunting knife. "You okay?" she asked, addressing Percy, who was holding his side, which was obviously tender.

"Nothing a little Ambrosia can't fix," he answered, "Do you have any?"

Thalia looked smug. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you don't."

"I did," he defended, "But it didn't survive the impact with the building."

"Yeah, okay," Thalia said, digging a pouch out of the pocket of her jacket. She handed him a square and then broke another in half, gave part to me, and ate the other herself. "Well," she said after a moment of quiet, "That was more trouble than I was expecting. I was going to be upset if you'd interrupted our lunch for something stupid, Kelp Head."

"Aw, come on, Pinecone Face, You know I'd never do that." Percy grinned.

"Sure you wouldn't," Thalia said.

"Come on, guys," I interrupted, slipping my fingers through Percy's, "That's enough. Let's go eat."

"Yes," Percy agreed readily, "I'm starving."

"Think it will be weird for us to go back to the same restaurant we just left?" I asked, voicing my thoughts to no one in particular.

"Who cares?" Thalia responded, "I'm never in New York. I'm _going _to enjoy a cheeseburger before I leave."

I chuckled. "Fair enough."

We continued walking back the way Thalia and I had just come as if the Chimera had never happened. And aside from the cold March wind blowing the glittering dust off our clothes as we went, for the moment anyway, there was nothing separating us from any other group of teenagers spending Saturday together in the city.

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**Thanks for reading and for everyone celebrating tomorrow, have a great Thanksgiving!**


	20. We Go For An Unplanned Run

**Hey guys! So this is the quickest I've been to update is quite a while, which is sad. Thanksgiving break has been good for that, but I am going to try to update at least once a week as much as possible from now on. You guys are so great and I feel bad making you wait forever for chapters.**

**Also, really quick, I've heard from quite a few people lately, as well as researched myself, that Rick Riordan is making another series with the PJO characters coming out next year called the Trials of Apollo. So I'm super excited about that, but seeing as this story was supposed to fill in gaps that BoO left gaping open, gaps I hope will be filled in this next series, I suppose that makes this whole thing kind of unnecessary. Still, I'm going to continue with ATM until it reaches its end because I've had fun with it and I know you all like it as well. Just thought you'd like to know that. And hey, if you didn't know about that upcoming series, now you do!**

**Anyway, I started writing this chapter late last night. I'm not really sure where it came from or how good of an idea it was, but it's done so I'm posting it. Let me know what you think. :)**

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**_Percy_**

The stars were depressing me.

Well, not the stars themselves maybe, they were very nice. What was depressing were the memories that came flooding back from looking at them.

_Tell the sun and the stars hello for me. _

At home, the light pollution of New York City made it almost impossible to see the stars at night, but at camp it was a different story entirely. Here, every star, every constellation was visible. It was a horrible reminder.

Annabeth and I had been recalled to camp just before sitting down to dinner with my parents in order to assist in dealing with a group of rogue basilisks that had wandered a little too close to the borders for comfort. No one knew where they'd come from-I'd never encountered any that hadn't come from the giant Polybotes' hair, but Chiron assured us that they did, in fact, exist on their own and had somehow managed to wind up in northern Long Island. Regardless, they'd needed to be taken care of. It wasn't that the year-round campers were incapable of handling a few dozen fire-breathing snakes, but many of them were young and pretty inexperienced when it came to more obscure monster types, so it was helpful to have more experienced half-bloods in the area, meaning Annabeth and me.

By the time Blackjack had deposited us about a thousand feet outside the camp's magical borders, where the action was taking place, most of the monsters had already been taken care of, but our presence in the aftermath of the attack seemed to boost morale and reassure campers that nothing serious was happening, so I could see Chiron's logic. Nothing like the end of the world twice within the course of a year to make people a bit paranoid.

We'd hung around for dinner afterward, having missed it ourselves, and since neither of us had been anxious to leave right away, decided to spend the night and head home via Pegasus Airlines in the morning. So Annabeth and I had roasted marshmallows at the campfire with the other kids and settled into our old cabins for the night.

The more time that passed, the more bearable the nightmares of Tartarus became, so Annabeth and I could usually make it through the night solo if needed. It wasn't great sleep, but we didn't wake up screaming anymore, so that was what mattered. And surprisingly, it hadn't been nightmares that had kept me awake tonight, as I'd never actually gotten to sleep. I'd stared at the ceiling of the Poseidon cabin for a solid hour before giving up and walking outside for some fresh air.

Now, I sat on the edge of the dock, my feet dangling just a few inches above the surface of the canoe lake, taking in the night sky and remembering Bob's final words before he'd sacrificed himself so Annabeth and I could make it out of Tartarus alive. I was probably at great risk of being caught and eaten by cleaning harpies patrolling for campers out of bed, but I figured my escape plan was pretty solid, seeing as I could breathe underwater and all.

_Tell the sun and the stars hello…_

It was such an inconsequential request compared to what he'd done. Still, no matter how many times I told the stars hello for him, or how many times I remembered that what he and Damasen had done, they'd done willingly, a part of me still felt incredibly guilty. I'd come to terms with everything else about our little trip through hell, but I had a feeling I'd never quite come to terms with that part of it. Nor did I want to. Their sacrifice would mean nothing if I allowed myself to just forget about it.

After a moment, I was aware of the sound of approaching footsteps, but they were much too graceful and coordinated to be a harpy, so I didn't bother even turning around to see who it was. I had a pretty good idea anyway. No one else was brave enough to risk breaking curfew.

She sat down on the dock's edge close beside me, letting her legs dangle next to mine. I could smell lemon shampoo and _Annabeth_, a scent as familiar to me now as air itself. She didn't say anything at first. Actually, she didn't say anything at all, but simply leaned her head to rest on my shoulder. Without really even thinking about it, I put my arm around her.

Her presence made the guilt slightly less suffocating for a moment, a reminder that, while I hadn't been able to save Bob and Damasen, or anyone else who had died fighting beside me over the years, I'd at least been able to save her. And for a moment, that was enough, but then I felt guilty all over again for feeling better. I sighed.

"It had to be loyalty," I complained softly, "I think anything else at all would have been better."

"It wouldn't," Annabeth replied easily, unmoving. She didn't have to ask to know what I was referring to.

"You're probably right," I conceded, "I just hate this."

"You're not alone. I wish we could have gotten them out too, believe me." When I didn't say anything, she continued, "You can't keep blaming yourself though." Her voice was gentle.

"I don't," I said, which wasn't entirely true. I was _trying_ not to blame myself; I knew it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help myself. There was a reason they called it a _fatal _flaw. Mine had come close to becoming exactly that on more than one occasion.

I knew Annabeth probably didn't believe me, but she didn't refute it. "They died defending us," she said softly, "They knew the risks and they did it anyway. It was what they wanted."

She was totally right, and I knew that, but it didn't make me feel better, probably because that wasn't all I was worried about. Damasen was the way he was by choice. He'd been born for evil, but had chosen good. Bob hadn't had the same luxury. If it hadn't been for me, he would have remained the evil Titan Iepetus. But I'd forced him to become good by wiping his memory and convincing him he was someone he wasn't. Sure, in the end, he'd figured out the truth and chosen to stay good anyway, but what was two years of being good, most of it forced, when he'd spent millennia being evil? Tartarus had a knack for brining out the worst in people. What was to say that he wouldn't reform down there as Iepetus again and kind, innocent, _good _Bob would be gone forever? To think I'd sentenced him to that, even if he'd chosen it, was unbearable, but I couldn't shake the thought, no matter how hard I tried.

"That's not all you're worried about, is it?" Annabeth asked. I swear, sometimes I think she can read my mind.

"I guess I'm just wondering if it's possible for Iepetus to reform in Tartarus and still be Bob," I admitted, "Like, what if its just in his nature to be an evil Titan and nothing we did matters?"

She sat up and was quiet for a few seconds, staring thoughtfully down at the lake. "I guess there's no way to know for sure that won't happen," she said, sounding pretty far away. "But I do know that people can change, for better and for worse." I knew she was thinking about Luke, how he'd changed after the quest he'd gone on for Hermes, turning bitter and angry, allowing himself to be swayed by Kronos. "And Bob knew the truth about what happened to him. He could have rejected it and gone back to being evil right there, and he didn't. He chose to go against his nature and help us anyway." She shrugged and looked at me. "I guess we just have to trust that he really did change."

I thought about her words and did feel a little better. Annabeth didn't say things unless they were true, and if she believed Bob had really changed, then the idea held merit. And I knew that Bob, at least while we were down there, had been one of the good guys.

"I guess that's assuming he's even able to reform at all," I added. When a monster was killed in the mortal world, its essence returned to Tartarus, where it was slowly reborn again (apparently from a gross, goo-filled blister in the ground). But what happened if a monster was killed _in_ Tartarus? Maybe that scattered its essence so far that it had little hope of ever reforming.

"Monsters probably kill each other all the time down there," Annabeth reasoned, knowing what I meant, "As far as I know, that's never stopped them. It's possible…" She paused for a moment, like she was gauging whether or not to say what she was thinking. She apparently decided to just go for it. "Maybe he'll reform and make it out." She looked at me and I could tell that while she didn't want to get my hopes up, she too really hoped that would happen. I'll admit the thought had crossed my own mind more than once before. "We could see him again."

It was a slim chance, a fact I knew she was even more aware of than I was, but I'd learned a long time ago that nothing was ever really impossible. It was still a chance, and while I still felt awful about what had happened to our unlikely friends, the part of me that had learned never to trust certainties dared to hope.

Instead of saying anything in response, I took a deep breath and looked back at the expanse of the night sky spread above us. Annabeth replaced her head on my shoulder and the two of us were quiet again for another minute. I was able to pick out some of the constellations I'd learned over the years. Polaris, Orion, Corona, and gleaming alongside them, a constellation newer than the rest, The Huntress, running with her bow across the sky, a memorial to another friend who had given her life for Olympus.

"Bob says hello," I told the stars. They'd already heard it, but I owed it to him to tell them again. Annabeth grabbed my hand. We'd lost a lot over the past few years. The number of brothers and sisters in arms who'd fallen in battle was beyond depressing, but at the same time, it was their sacrifice that enabled us to keep going and the pain of those losses that reminded us that even after everything, we were still human.

I leaned down and kissed Annabeth's forehead. "What are you doing out here, anyway?" I asked finally.

She shrugged. "I woke up from the same nightmare three separate times and kind of gave up on sleeping in my cabin. I snuck out and went to yours and you weren't there, so I tried the next most likely place."

"The canoe lake is the next most likely place?"

She smiled. "Actually, I was heading to the beach, but I saw you here on the way so it worked out."

I smirked. "Braved potentially being eaten to come find me, huh?"

"It was worth the risk."

"Too bad," I said, "Cause you could totally take the harpies."

Annabeth started to smile when a rustling nearby made us both freeze. I'd just _had_ to open my big mouth. An excited voice screeched, "Naughty, naughty campers out of bed. Yummy snack for harpies!" Aello appeared first from the woods, but judging by the noise, I was willing to bet the others weren't far behind. I had a feeling they'd be way more successful hunters if they'd learn to be quieter.

"Yeah," Annabeth said, scrambling to her feet, "Let's not."

"Let's not," I agreed, on my feet now as well. "Poseidon cabin?"

"Yes, go!" Annabeth answered, pushing me to get me moving, which I thought was kind of unnecessary. Together, we sprinted up the dock and towards the cabins with the harpies chasing loudly after us.

They might have woken up the entire camp, but we beat them to my cabin, so that's all that mattered. And suffice it to say I slept great after that.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	21. Sand and Surf

**Hey guys!**

**So, here's the update. Originally, it seemed like a much better idea than it turned out being. I feel like it's kind of cheesy, especially toward the end, but I'm not really sure what specifically I don't like about it, so I'm just going to post it. It turned out way longer than I expected too, almost 3,000 words. So that's good news for you, I think. :)**

**Anyway, let me know what you think. Hopefully it's not too bad.**

* * *

**_Annabeth_**

Percy met my eyes across the backseat of Paul's Prius and smiled at me, his eyes sparkling like a little kid's on Christmas morning. Being close to the ocean always had that effect on him; his stance loosened, his posture relaxed, and his green eyes lightened and took on the color of the sea. Being near any of his father's domain was good for him, and while I'd only been there with him one other time before, I knew Montauk in particular had an even greater effect.

I returned his smile. Spring Break was finally here and we were spending the week at the beach cabin Percy had grown up visiting. The windows were open in the car and the sea air blowing in blew the loose strands of my hair around. I had a book in my lap, which I had abandoned reading in favor of admiring the scenery along the beach roads that made up the final leg of the trip. Percy sat next to me, behind his mom on the passenger side, and the closer we got to the cabin, the more excited he became. It was obvious he loved it here. Sally and Paul, immersed in their own conversation, paid us little attention.

The ocean glittered outside his window. The beach was surprisingly empty and the waves crashed against the shore, creating a very peaceful and picturesque scene. This time of year, the weather tended to go either way as far as temperatures were concerned, which was maybe why there weren't a lot of people around, but the sun was shining and even with the breeze blowing off the water, the temperature was very comfortable. The ocean would probably still be too cold for anyone except Percy to swim in, but there was nothing that would prevent us from enjoying the sand and the sunshine.

Prior to meeting Percy, while I hadn't disliked the beach, I hadn't been particularly fond of it either, but falling in love with a son of Poseidon had sort of changed my opinion. I'd clocked more than a few hours on the beach at camp during the months he had been missing. Being near the ocean had been like being just a little bit closer to him then. It had made that awful time the slightest bit more tolerable.

At some point, my eyes wandered from the view outside to focus on Percy. He held Riptide in his hand and tapped the pen restlessly against his knee as he we drove. It was an absentminded gesture, typical of his hyperactive self. The wind blew his dark hair, which needed cutting, in every direction and he seemed relaxed (as close as a demigod could ever really be to relaxed anyway), like he'd left every stress he'd had back in Manhattan and with every mile he put between himself and it, the farther away it got from his mind.

I couldn't pretend I wasn't feeling the high of the break myself. School, while it was better than questing around and preventing the end of the world, which I sadly had more than enough experience doing, was still more than enough pressure. I was glad for the week off.

We got to the cabin a few minutes later. The place looked unchanged from the last time I'd been there, a year and a half earlier. Percy was first out of the car. "Before we do anything, let's get unpack a little first," Sally requested.

"All hands on deck," Paul agreed, making his way past me to the back of the car. He opened the trunk.

I arrived beside him and reached in to grab the bag I'd brought for the week. Percy came up behind me then, grabbed his own, and then took mine smoothly from me as well. "I've got it," he told me and kissed me on the cheek before turning and walking away toward the cabin, a duffel bag in each hand. Paul, luggage in one hand and the cabin key in the other, walked a little ahead of him. I smiled, watching him go, and shook my head.

"I dare say, I taught that boy well," Sally, still standing beside me, said in amusement.

I laughed. "You taught him everything he knows, I'm sure."

"Of course I did," she smiled, "Though it helps that he loves you so much. Keeps him motivated."

I chuckled, reached in, and grabbed one of the reusable grocery bags Sally had packed with dry goods for the week. Most of the food was in the large cooler still in the back of the car, but it was awkward and kind of heavy, so I figured the men could handle that. I slung the bag over my shoulder and followed Percy's mother up the cabin's sandy driveway.

The cabin itself was tiny. It technically had two bedrooms, but they were large enough only for a double bed, a chest of drawers, and absolutely nothing else. It also had a little living room, an even smaller kitchen, and a single bathroom that was barely larger than a broom closet. But it was cozy and homey and, aside from the unfortunately high probability of spiders hiding in the cabinets, I liked it.

Still, with all four of us crammed into the same area, it was slightly claustrophobic.

The living room and kitchen were connected by a narrow entryway, beside which was the front door. Paul and Percy had stacked the luggage neatly against the wall. They were on their way back out when we stepped inside.

The air inside the cabin was musty and stale, a fact that was not lost on Sally. She set down her bags and looked at me. "This place has been closed up tight for most of the winter. Can you me open some windows?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Great. You want to get the ones in here? I'll take the bedrooms."

"No problem," I replied, and stepped across the small space to the kitchen window while she headed down the short hallway and disappeared through the first doorway. The window stuck a little, but it was easy enough to open. A burst of fresh sea air made its way inside, filling my nostrils with the scent of the beach at camp and… well, Percy. He always seemed to smell like ocean air.

Between the kitchen and living room, there were only three windows to open. I finished quickly. Sally met me back in the kitchen, where I leaned against the countertop. She handed me the bag of dry goods I'd brought in across the small space. "Could you put this behind you?" I set it atop the counter where I'd been leaning, next to another one already waiting there.

In the same moment, Percy and Paul made their way through the doorway, carrying the cooler from the car between them. "Coming through," Percy announced.

Sally, stepping out of the way, came to stand next to me while they squeezed through the narrow space. "Tight quarters," Paul commented. They set their load on the floor next to the refrigerator and straightened. "It's going to be interesting squeezing four people in here for a week." He didn't say that like it was a bad thing though.

Sally hummed in agreement, removing cereal, pasta, and other dry foods from the bag and placing them in the cabinet next to me. I moved to help her. "Just wait until the grandkids start coming. It'll really be crowded then," she said.

"A bigger cabin might be in order," Paul agreed as he turned the refrigerator on and closed the door so it could cool down. They both spoke so casually. It wasn't the first reference to my and Percy's potential future children I'd heard, from the Blofis's among others, and not something I hadn't given thought to once or twice myself, but it still struck a chord somewhere inside me. One that said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second. We're only seventeen!" while at the same time, also, "I _definitely_ want that someday." That was the sort of thing that went with the territory of being Athena's daughter: lots of internal arguments between heart and head.

Percy looked at me from across the tiny kitchen with something like resigned embarrassment in his features. This wasn't even _close_ to the first time he'd heard this spiel. I held his gaze for a second and then looked down, smiling at the floor. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "_Anyway_, Mom, is it okay if Annabeth and I go now?"

Sally, like any good parent is inclined to, asked, "Where are you going?"

"To the beach," Percy answered, like that was self-explanatory. Given who was speaking, it kind of was. Freezing water or not, if there was an ocean nearby, Percy was there.

His mom smirked. "Help me finish putting this food away, then, yes."

With little more than an answering grin, he closed the distance between himself and where we stood, and assisted with unpacking the grocery bags.

Percy is very efficient when he's motivated. Five minutes later, he held my hand in his and was essentially dragging me out the front door, in a manner that reminded me more of a boy of seven than seventeen. This place was special to him though and I was honored that he cared enough to share it with me, so I simply smiled and went along with it.

I didn't say anything until we were walking barefoot across the sand and, by Percy's leading, bee lining for the sea. I put the brakes on. "We're not going in the water, are we?" I asked, eyeing him. Granted, he could be a bit dense at times, but I was sure he was aware that I didn't share his waterproofing abilities.

"Why not?" he asked easily.

I blinked. "Percy, it's April. That water's fifty degrees."

His tone was still casual. "I know."

I continued to stare at him. "You do realize," I asked slowly, "That being in water that cold for very long will give a normal person hypothermia, right?"

Percy didn't do or say anything for a three-count. Then he just smiled. "Wise Girl, I'm not going to let you get hypothermia." He tugged gently on my hand to get me moving again.

"You can't keep me warm just by sheer force of will, you know," I informed him.

"Oh, come on, give me a little credit. I happen to know what I'm doing. You won't even get wet."

That brought me up short. We were mere feet from where the waves lapped against the shore now. I watched them skeptically for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "How?"

He grinned. "Just trust me." And with that, he proceeded to close the distance between the water and the two of us. I braced myself for the sting of the icy water on my feet. I'm sorry, I trusted Percy with my life and knew that he knew what he was talking about when it came to the ocean, but that didn't mean he could perform miracles.

The waves receded before us for the first few feet, at Percy's command, before he allowed them to flow normally back again over our ankles. The instant the saltwater touched my skin, I gasped at the cold. No surprise, it was freezing. But after a second, it wasn't anymore. I could feel the cool of the sea around me, but it wasn't anywhere close to the ice bath it had been. I realized it was because I was no longer wet. "How are you doing that?" I asked, nothing short of amazed.

Percy shrugged, still holding my hand. "I'm willing you to stay dry the same way I do." He didn't seem to really be concentrating much at all. At my dumbfounded expression, he just grinned, "I have skills, you know."

"Right," I snorted, but I had to admit, I was slightly stunned.

He grinned triumphantly. "Come on," he said, and began pulling me forward again. We moved further in, but instead of getting colder the deeper we went, the water actually seemed to grow warmer, and I realized Percy must have been willing the ocean's warmer currents to surround us. It was actually fairly comfortable.

"Okay," I relented, "I admit it. I'm impressed."

"Trust me now?" he asked cockily. We'd stopped walking and stood almost neck deep in the ocean, both of us perfectly dry and staying upright easily as the waves parted almost completely around us. My hand fit comfortably in his. My smile was answer enough. Percy grinned in reply.

"So," he said, glancing back at the shore, where, maybe a hundred feet behind us, the cabin sat, half-sunken in the dunes. There were a handful of others spaced along the shore, but there was more than a comfortable distance between them. "Not a bad way to spend Spring Break."

"I could think of worse places," I agreed.

He smiled and, after a second, met my eyes, his expression turning oddly nervous. "You know my mom's serious about the whole 'grandkids' thing, right? Like, _very _serious?"

I smiled. "I know."

"And about bringing them here someday," he continued.

I shrugged. "I think I can live with that." Percy just looked at me, processing. We'd discussed the distant future in the vaguest of terms, but kids had never really been factored in. It just hadn't been brought up, though I was pretty sure I wanted them one day and, knowing Percy, it wasn't hard to guess that he was for the idea. After a few seconds, he smiled. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered, "What would my life be someday without a mini Seaweed Brain or two running around?"

He grinned, "As long as there's a girl too, and she looks exactly like you." He'd clearly put some thought into this.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll be sure to submit your request to the Fates when the time comes, okay?"

He laughed and kissed me. "We'll have awesome kids someday," he said once we'd separated.

"Someday," I agreed, "College first though. And marriage would probably be a good idea too."

Percy scoffed playfully. "Of course. We're gonna do things right. We'd owe it to our kids. Not to mention, if we didn't, your mom would blast me to bits so fast…"

I laughed. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

He smiled again, his eyes reflecting back the exact color of the ocean around him. "Hold your breath," he told me suddenly. I did, still slightly concerned I was going to end up wet and freezing by the end of this. Percy tugged us downwards and we dropped smoothly below the surface. I was unsurprised to open my eyes and find us both sitting in an air bubble of his making. This part, at least, I was pretty familiar with. We drifted a little bit with the currents, and he must have still had the warm water circulating around us because the inside of the bubble was rather warm. The afternoon sun broke through the water easily, allowing us more then enough light to see each other.

Percy looked rather pleased with himself, but the gesture was really sweet, I had to admit. He still had his arms wrapped around me, but he pulled me closer still. "I love you," he told me matter-of-factly.

"I love you too," I replied, and in the same breath, added, "Aren't you the least bit concerned about all the sea life who will be watching you kiss me?" It was a valid question, judging from the surprisingly large amount of fish and crabs that had populated the area since we'd been down there.

"Not once I tell them to go away." And, as if by magic, they did all, in fact, go away, though some of them looked distinctly disappointed about it. Percy smirked at me.

"Shut up," I told him, smirking, and brought my lips to his because, frankly, underwater kisses were always some of the best.

And if the fish and crabs, or even Poseidon himself was watching us, I really didn't care. The gods probably did it all the time anyway.

And it was worth it.

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**So, about that ending... Too much? I was going for something cute, but I'm not really sure now. Whatever.  
**

**Thanks for reading. Hopefully you liked it. See you soon!**


	22. I Get Myself A Prom Date

**Hey guys!**

**So, overall, I'm not too sure about this chapter. I thought it would be cute a while back, but having actually written it now, I don't know. But whatever.**

**Anyway, so I figured that since for most, if not all, of the story so far, there hasn't been much conflict between Percy and Annabeth, it was time to have a little. Don't get me wrong, of course they love each other, but they both still have very different personalities, and while that's part of what makes them so perfect, they're going to clash once in a while too. Hence, sort of, this chapter.**

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**_Percy_**

Annabeth swung the front door open forcefully and stormed inside the apartment with little more than the courtesy of _not _slamming it in my face behind her. Exhausted, I followed her inside, closed the door behind me, and stood watching as she made her way up the hallway and disappeared into her bedroom. She didn't slam that door behind her either, she respected my parents too much for that, but she still made her point very clear.

Miserably, I started forward, debating whether it would be beneficial to my health to try and talk to her again. She'd done nothing but ignore me on the way home, walking briskly in front of me down the sidewalk, but there weren't any innocent bystanders preventing her from seriously injuring me here; I was pretty sure my parents didn't count.

My mom was folding laundry in the living room. I paused in the hallway outside, leaning dejectedly in the doorway. She had paused her work and now looked at me in concern. Paul wasn't home yet. She looked worried, not saying anything. I shook my head.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

I glanced down the hall at Annabeth's door, shut tight, before entering the room and depositing my backpack at my feet before flinging myself down in an armchair. It was probably best to let her cool off a little first anyway so I lapsed into the condensed version of what had happened this afternoon.

I've never claimed to be particularly sharp. If anything, most of the time, I'm kind of the opposite. I tend to say the first thing that comes to mind before really thinking about it, and this has a tendency of sometimes getting me in trouble with people, including Annabeth. What happened was as much my fault as it was hers. Probably more so my fault actually.

It was the beginning of May; the busiest time of year for high school students. Especially in the case of overachievers with wisdom goddess genes like my girlfriend, who had her nose buried in a textbook even more than usual lately, preparing for the upcoming AP exams she had to take. And I missed her, but I understood. She was Annabeth, and that sometimes meant, for short periods of time, she liked math and history more than me. I was used to it.

Anyway, ever since my mom had found out that the date for senior prom had been announced, she'd been on me about taking Annabeth. Personally, I didn't really care much about dressing up and going to some dance where most of the kids would be doing anything _but _dancing, and I doubted Annabeth really did either, but she insisted I should ask anyway because it was our "last chance" or whatever (I was pretty sure it also had something to do with her wanting to make sure I got to experience everything she never did). I'd listened to her and pulled Annabeth aside today to ask her. Or I'd tried to anyway. As usual, things hadn't gone as I'd planned.

I met her at her locker after the final bell, as usual, and we walked outside, Annabeth, all the while, going on unhappily about the workload her teachers had given her for the night. Looking back on it, that probably should have been Hint Number One that today wasn't a great time, but like I said, I'm sort of clueless at times.

Paul had to stay after to meet with a parent and the weather was nice, so we'd planned to walk. We were a few blocks away from Goode when I tried to get Annabeth to stop and, rather than going straight home, head to Central Park for a little while. I didn't really know what I was doing, as I'd never asked anyone to a dance in my life, but it was kind of common knowledge that the guy was supposed to do something somewhat nice. I figured asking her in the park would be nicer than just doing it in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I can't, Percy," She said, "I've got too much stuff to do."

"Come on," I'd persisted, "We've hardly spent any time together since we got back from Montauk."

"I know," she said, "I'm sorry, but exams start in less than a week. After that-"

"Just fifteen minutes," I pressed, "Will that really make that much difference?"

"Percy, I _can't_," she'd replied, her voice hardening with frustration. Looking back, it was obvious she'd wanted so badly to have even the smallest break, but it just wasn't in her nature to betray her priorities like that. "I'm sorry if you don't understand what it's like to work hard, but I can't just blow off my exams to satisfy your every wish!"

Things went downhill pretty quickly after that. I assured her that I did, in fact, know what it was to work hard, that, if she remembered correctly, I'd spent time at Camp Jupiter. She'd said something degrading, I'd responded accordingly, and pretty much that was how that ended up going. Annabeth had ended it and turned and walked away before we could make a scene in the middle of the Manhattan sidewalk-probably a good thing. She'd been sure to stay a few steps ahead of me at all times on the way home and I'd let her, already feeling guilty. For all the minor bickering we did, we didn't actually _fight_ that much, and when we did, it wasn't fun. Plus, if I was being honest, Annabeth was way better at it than I was. I just didn't have the will or the attention span to stay angry for long, especially at her.

My mom listened to my explanation, nodding understandingly every so often. When I finished, she sighed. "Well, your timing could have been better," she conceded, "But you meant well. Annabeth knows that. She's just under a lot of pressure right now."

"I know that," I said, studying the floor. And I did, probably better than most.

"I know you do, sweetie," my mom said, her voice gentle, "Just make sure she does too."

I met her eyes for a moment and then glanced down the hall. "I'm going to go talk to her," I decided after a second, staring at the closed door that separated Annabeth and I. My mom looked like she agreed with that plan. She gave me an encouraging smile and I stood up and left the room.

A few seconds later, I stood outside Annabeth's room. Technically, it was the guest room. Annabeth had inherited it on a semi-permanent basis, though it didn't really see much of her. She kept most of her things in there, but we both shared my room for the most part.

I paused for a second and then knocked. There was silence for a few beats, like she hesitated, before she called, rather unenthusiastically, "Come in." Bracing myself for the very good chance of getting yelled at, I turned the knob.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, books and papers spread atop the coverlet before her, her hair tied back as usual, her backpack open on the floor beside her. Clearly she'd been attempting to study; and I say attempted because she was too distracted to focus well. If she hadn't been, she wouldn't have even noticed the knock on the door, much less responded to it.

Annabeth stared down at the blanket in front of her for a second before slowly bringing her eyes to meet mine across the small room. It was pretty obvious that, at some point, she'd been crying, which made me feel even worse than I already did. Even from my spot near the door, I could see the mix of emotions her stormy eyes betrayed. Anger. Hurt. Guilt.

"Hey," I said quietly, closing the door behind me.

She looked down at the textbook open in front of her, but I could tell she wasn't actually reading anything. "Hi."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Listen," I said, starting forward. "I'm sorry. About what happened, the things I said. I knew you were stressed out and I should have just dropped it. It's not like you'll be this busy forever. I… I just miss you." I stood before her, still a few feet away, waiting.

Annabeth took a deep breath, as if to steady herself, and then pushed the papers on her lap aside and stood up. I wasn't totally sure what she was going to do, so I was a little surprised when she met my eyes and closed the distance between us to hug me. She buried her face in my T-shirt. I wasn't about to ruin it. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight, and she relaxed against me. For a solid minute, neither of us said anything, and then she pulled away enough to speak.

"I'm sorry too. For how I reacted before. And for the last few weeks. It wasn't fair to you. But…" She shrugged helplessly, "You know me."

"It's okay," I told her, "You don't have to apologize for being you."

"That isn't me. Or at least, it shouldn't be. I can't withdraw completely every time I get busy. It isn't good," she met my eyes, "Not for either of us." I couldn't have agreed more.

"I know you're under a lot of pressure right now," I said, "I didn't mean to add to that today. Asking you to prom could have waited."

That brought her up slightly short. "What?" she asked, "You-you were going to ask me… to go to prom with you?"

"Well… yeah. That was my plan."

"You want to go to prom?"

I shrugged. "It's no big deal, really, but I thought, if you wanted to, it would give you something to look forward to after things calm down a little. Something _normal_. And also," I added as a side note, "My mom thought you might regret not going to your senior prom, so."

Annabeth exhaled in a small laugh. "Of course she did."

"So, is that a no then? Because I'm fine with not going, honestly. I just thought-"

"Yes," Annabeth interrupted, smiling.

I blinked, not sure that I was hearing her right. "What?"

She shrugged, smiling, and answered simply, "It might not be that bad. Besides, I like dancing with you." I smirked dubiously.

"I step on your feet, like, ninety-percent of the time," I deadpanned.

"I don't care. I'm not any better at it than you are."

I chuckled. "Okay."

She stared at me for a few seconds. "I'm sorry I ruined your plan."

"It's fine. I didn't really have much of one anyway," I admitted.

She laughed. "That doesn't surprise me." She grew serious then and glanced toward the homework spread out on the bed. She sighed. "I really do have to study though." Her tone suggested she regretted that fact.

"Want some company?" I offered.

"Can you be quiet and not distract me?"

I thought about that and came to a decision pretty quickly. "Um, yeah, I'll see you later."

She smiled, laughing a little, "Yeah, I saw that coming."

"Sorry," I offered unapologetically.

"It's okay, Seaweed Brain. I'd expect nothing less."

"Gee, thanks," I told her lightly. I grinned at her one last time and her answering smile was all I needed to know that we were okay now. I left her to her books then, feeling significantly better. The afternoon hadn't really worked out the way I intended, but she seemed happy, so I figured it was okay. And she didn't seem mad at me anymore, so that was also a huge plus.

"Everything okay?" my mom asked a minute later when I walked into the living room again to retrieve my backpack, which was still sitting on the floor at the foot of the armchair where I'd left it. "Yeah," I answered.

"And?" she pressed, "Did you ask her?"

I rolled my eyes in mock exasperation while smiling in amusement. "Yes, Mom."

"What did she say?"

"She said yes," I answered matter-of-factly.

My mom smiled widely. "That's great, honey!"

"Mom, it's just prom."

"You'll have fun."

I shrugged lightly but didn't deny it. It wasn't hard not to enjoy most things at least a little bit when Annabeth was with me. "Okay," I said with a laugh, slinging the strap of my backpack over my shoulder. My mom cast one last smile in my direction and went back to the socks she was matching up, and I left the living room with at least _some _intention of attempting to struggle through the chemistry homework I still had to do.

* * *

**So, there you have it. I hope it didn't seem OOC or anything, but, having been in Annabeth's shoes more than once, I know how stressed out AP testing can make you and I think this is pretty close to how she'd be. Also, I feel like they would go for trivial things like prom every now and then, even if only because it is such a _normal_ thing for kids their age to do, and their lives are seriously lacking in that department.  
**

**Hopefully you liked it, and if not, I'm sorry.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	23. So Much More

**Hey guys! Happy new year! Hope you had a great holiday! I was out of town for most of it, and then had midterms and finals, hence the lack of updates, but I'm back now and should be able to get back to posting about once a week, assuming all goes as planned.**

**I got a few requests to include more fluffy chapters in this story, so that's sort of what this is. Or what I meant it to be anyway. I'm not sure if it really turned out like that, but hopefully you like it.**

* * *

**_Annabeth_**

I stepped inside the apartment, a small stack of mail in my hand, and made my way inside. I walked into the kitchen where Sally was seated at the table, typing away at her laptop, probably putting the finishing touches on her novel. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. "You're the best," she thanked me as I handed the mail to her. She'd forgotten to get it from the mailboxes downstairs when she'd come home earlier today, and I'd volunteered to run down and get it now.

I smiled in reply and left the kitchen again as Sally, after a quick browse through the contents, went back to her work.

At the end of the hall, Percy's door was cracked slightly open. I'd been sketching in the living room before and he'd, having apparently lost interest in watching me do so, left me to it. I didn't know what he'd been doing since. Contrary to popular belief, even though I was living with his family on a semi-permanent basis, we didn't actually spend every waking moment together, and that was fine.

I pushed the door open and found Percy sprawled on the bed, atop the blankets, on his back. He had one arm casually behind his head and the other draped comfortably across his stomach. His iPod was in his hand and ear buds, in his ears.

His eyes were closed, but I could tell he wasn't asleep. Not yet, at least. Though, music playing in his ears as it was, there was a good chance he hadn't heard me come in. He did nothing to signal that he had. I stood there for a few seconds, a smile slowly spreading across my face, just watching him, before I started forward.

I crawled up next to him. He jumped slightly as I jostled the bed, but didn't open his eyes. He didn't need to in order to know who I was. He put his arm around me as I lay down and leaned into his side. We both just lay there for a minute, not saying anything.

His arm was angled slightly and I could see edges of the tattoo there, evidence of his time spent at Camp Jupiter. My eyes studied it again as I lay there. At first, that tattoo had bothered me more than I wanted to admit. It was like the Romans had stolen him away from the Greeks, from me, and claimed him as their own, and they'd permanently marked him as proof. At Camp Half-Blood, we got beads on a necklace for each year spent there, but at Camp Jupiter, they branded you. You could never take your years off. I'd despised the Romans at first for many reasons, even if I made an effort to be friendly to keep the peace. But I'd gotten to know them and they'd grown on me. And then the tattoo they'd put on Percy's arm hadn't seemed as much like an atrocity and more like a symbol that he wore in honor of everything he'd been through, that we all had. He wore his camp beads from the Greeks and his SPQR brand from the Romans at the same time, representation of both camps, which seemed only appropriate in the after light of it all.

I traced the marks gently with my finger, the trident, the SPQR, the single bar underneath it for his first year of service to New Rome. My touch must have tickled because he lightly jerked his arm away. "Sleeping here," he murmured blithely.

I smiled. "Sure you are," I said, but I my fingers stilled. I reached behind me, grabbing the book I remembered I'd left sitting on the nightstand and flipped it open to the page I'd left bookmarked, content to simply be there with him. We were both so busy nowadays with school and life in general that I saw way too little of him, even if we did share his bed every night.

We stayed that way for a few minutes, together on the bed. I thought Percy actually would fall asleep, as the nightmares, which never fully went away, had been worse than normal the night before and he hadn't gotten much rest then, but it wasn't long before he abandoned the pretense of napping and turned his head toward me. I could feel his gaze as he watched me, but I didn't meet it right away, determined to finish the page I was on first. He busied himself with the blonde strands of my hair, which I'd kept down for once, twirling them gently between his fingers. It was a habit he'd picked up over the past year or so whenever we were close like this. I wasn't sure he really even thought about it, but I found it cute, so I let him do it.

I replaced the bookmark and looked over, studying him for a second up close while he was otherwise occupied. At seventeen, he was so different now from the boy he'd been when I'd first met him. He was handsomer now, for sure, with only slightly less obvious telltale troublemaker features then before. At first glance, as well as second and probably third, he looked like an exact younger version of his father, Poseidon. But if you really looked, you could see traces of his mother too, in the finer details; the curve of his cheekbones was gentler, like Sally's, and his nose slightly flatter.

Still, there was no denying that Percy was the son of the sea god. His eyes alone could have proved as much. They never changed. The night when he'd first shown up at Camp Half-Blood, battered, soaking wet, and scared out of his mind, they'd been the brightest thing about him for the mere minute I'd had to look at him before he'd passed out. Looking back on it, having been to Olympus and seen Poseidon for myself, it amazed me I hadn't put the pieces together from first glance.

But then, he hadn't exactly seemed spectacular enough to be a Big Three kid back then.

How things had changed.

Percy noticed me looking then and met my eyes with a smirk. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"The night you came to camp," I told him. That was the simple answer.

"When you fell instantly for my good looks and obvious control of the situation?" he asked with mock seriousness.

I laughed. "That's one way to put it." He had been a rather pitiful display, honestly, and I'd been less than impressed.

"You cared enough to nurse me back to health though." He was grinning.

"Yeah well," I answered nonchalantly, "I was slightly idealistic back then."

"That's one way to put it," he replied, repeating my earlier words in the same way I had.

"Shut up," I told him, smiling.

Percy shifted to prop his head up with his elbow. "I grew on you," he pointed out, none too modestly.

"Yeah, you did," I allowed, moving to mirror his position, "Which, in itself, is nothing short of a miracle."

He raised his eyebrows playfully. "Oh, really?"

"Yup," I told him, "I don't know what I was thinking, honestly."

He was still grinning. "I do. You wanted me to do this." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I smiled against his mouth. That was well played. Still, nice of him to know that _now._

"I did actually," I informed him once he pulled away. "You were very slow to catch on. Like, ridiculously slow."

"Sorry. I had a thing or two on my mind back then, saving the world or something like that."

"Excuses," I chided playfully. "I mean, I _kissed_ you, and you still didn't take the hint."

"I'm sorry," he said again, holding his hands up in defense, and then laughed. "I was so sure you were going to punch me in that volcano, and instead you kissed me and threw me all off guard."

"I _was_ going to punch you at first," I admitted, smiling ruefully. "I changed my mind at the last second."

He smiled. "I could tell. Punching me probably would have been better for my brain function though. If there hadn't been Telekhines after me, I probably would have sat there all day trying to remember my name."

I gave a short laugh and sobered quickly. "In retrospect, I probably should have handled that better. I was really sure you were going to die though."

"I thought so too for a few seconds there." He paused a second before asking, "Is it sad that after everything we've been through since then that blowing up Mt. Saint Helens seems like nothing?"

"Probably," I answered, "But those were still two of the worst weeks of my life that I spent thinking you were dead. Right up there with the months I spent looking for you and thinking the same thing when you disappeared last winter."

He tightened his grip on me and looked slightly guilty. "Sorry," he murmured, "It wasn't my first choice."

"I know," I told him, even as I fought back the feelings that came with the topic. Even if everything was fine now and Percy was here with me, at the time, it had been beyond awful. Not that I'd ever admit it, even to myself, but sometimes I wondered if those six months I spent worrying and working myself to death hadn't left me just as scarred as the quest itself.

"I was really surprised you didn't punch me after I walked in on my shroud burning," Percy continued, still talking about the time before the Titan War and the giants. "You were definitely mad enough to." Along with mortified and, despite myself, seriously jealous.

I smiled. "I think I was too much in shock. The thought probably crossed my mind though."

He smiled. "You were my best friend, and half the time, I still thought you hated me.

"I _was_ your best friend?" I asked lightly, enunciating the past tense. "Has that changed?"

"No, you still are. And so much more," he told me unashamedly. I couldn't keep from smiling at that. "Now, I know you don't hate me though," he added.

I laughed. "I could never hate you, Seaweed Brain."

"Well, that's good to know," he said, leaning forward to kiss me again, which effectively ended that conversation.

A few minutes later, I lay on my side with my head on his chest, listening to the quick beat of his heart beneath his shirt. No matter how many times Percy kissed me, my own heart still raced with the action, and it was nice to know that went both ways. He had both arms around me and rubbed a hand absently up and down my arm. Neither of us said anything. The silence was comfortable.

Eventually, Percy's hand stilled, and I thought that he'd fallen asleep until he spoke. "I'm going to make it up to you, you know," he said.

"Make what up to me?"

"All those months you spent going out of your mind looking for me, all the time we were apart. I won't ever put you through that again."

"That wasn't your fault, Percy. I don't blame you."

"I know. But still. I know you. Even without Piper and Rachel telling me what you were like during that time, I know it ruined you. And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you don't ever go through that again."

I didn't reply immediately, thinking as I was about his words and how I loved him so incredibly much for them. He didn't owe me anything, not after all he'd done for me, but his promise was another reminder that he wasn't going anywhere, and the thought brought a smile to my face and made my heart swell in a very un-Athena-like way.

"I love you, Percy," I murmured, realizing too late that his breathing had evened out and his grip around me had loosened, and he was asleep.

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**Thanks for reading! Next chapter will probably be the prom chapter. It should be up soon. :)**


	24. Our Normal Night Isn't Very Normal

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. I only have a few more planned before this story will be over, so I am planning to make them as good as they can be. Hope you like it!**

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**_Percy_**

"You're going to have so much fun tonight," my mom said for probably the hundredth time as she straightened my tie and took a step back, looking me up and down. She sighed nostalgically. "You look so handsome, Percy."

I gave an embarrassed smile. "Thanks, Mom."

"And Annabeth is absolutely beautiful. She walked out just before you came in here."

"I bet she is," I said, still smiling. I still wasn't completely sure that tonight wasn't a huge waste of time, but if there was anything about prom that I _was_ excited for, it was that: getting to see Annabeth all dressed up. It didn't happen very often. She was the most gorgeous girl in the world no matter what, but still. She'd been in the kitchen while my mom did her hair. I'd been in and out during that time but I hadn't seen the finished product yet. She'd already left to get dressed when I came back in. Knowing Annabeth, she hadn't done anything too involved, but seeing as she normally only ever wore her curls in a ponytail or, occasionally, down and loose around her shoulders, I was curious.

My mom smiled knowingly and maybe would have said more, except right then, Annabeth walked in and my heart did a backflip in my chest. Her dress was long and this pretty light purple color with a gray-was it called a sash? -around the waist. I understood now why my mom had insisted I needed the gray tie. It was the same shade. She'd done her hair in this side-bun with a few curls hanging down on each side. It seemed simple, but totally appropriate.

I have no idea what kind of expression was on my face in that moment, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was a big, stupid smile. She looked amazing.

"Is this okay?" Annabeth asked, stopping self-consciously in the doorway. I managed to blink and nod.

"Honey, you look stunning!" My mom told her, which kind of seemed like an understatement. That seemed only to make Annabeth more uncomfortable though. She looked down and back again, this sort of half-smile on her lips.

"Thanks," she said and held up a silver necklace, looking between us. I recognized it. I'd given it to her for her birthday last year. I'd figured she'd like the owl charm because of her mom. "Um, could you help me?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, stepping forward, "Sure." She turned her back to me so I could clasp it around her neck. When I stepped back again, my mom was waiting, camera in hand, looking at us expectantly and smiling.

About fifteen minutes later, after enduring at least three different photo ops for my parents, we finally left the apartment, hand in hand, with my mom calling, "Have fun!" and "Be safe!" after us.

"Wait," I said, pulling Annabeth to a stop in the hallway, making sure there was no one around. I pulled her toward me and kissed her. Honestly, I'd been dying to do it since she'd first walked into the kitchen, but my mom had been there the whole time and, though I loved her to pieces, she kind of ruined it. "You look so beautiful," I told her.

She smiled. "Thank you. You clean up nicely too," she said, smoothing the collar of my jacket down, "You look fantastic."

I smiled back. "That's good, because this tux is really uncomfortable." Annabeth laughed and, after a second, I grew serious again. "Is this a good idea?" I asked, "I mean, you do want to go tonight, right?"

"Yeah," she said after a second, "I want to do something normal. With you."

I smiled again and kissed her quickly one more time. "Okay." That was good enough for me.

Paul had leant us the car for the night. The dance was being held in the ballroom of an upscale hotel about a mile away from Goode. I parked a few blocks away from it in hopes of avoiding the mass chaos that would result later when it ended and everyone attempted to leave at once.

The night was comfortable for late May. I took Annabeth's hand and we started down the sidewalk. I could see other students in formal wear milling around near the entrance ahead, but we were still too far away to see who they were. The block we were on, while it was decently lit, was pretty deserted, considering we were in the middle of Manhattan.

I don't know if it was the lack of people, or another thing, but something seemed off. I slowed to a stop, my senses on high alert and my hand going for Riptide in my pocket, even while everything in me complained, _No! Please. Not tonight…_

Annabeth stopped beside me and I could tell by her expression that she sensed it too. I started to ask a question. "Do you-"

She cut me off with a nod, holding a dagger in her hand that she'd produced from somewhere. Since the quest, she'd grown fond of the Drakon bone sword Damasen had given her, but it was harder to comfortably conceal and she was the first to admit that she was more comfortable with a knife anyway. "I'm not sure what…" she said, moving to stand with her back to mine: our classic fighting stance.

It was instinct more than anything that had me yelling, "Get down!" and rolling out of the way as the giant shadow flying toward us solidified into something I'd never seen before. Annabeth moved with me as we dove away as the huge shape landed on the ground where we'd been standing, with enough force to crack the sidewalk.

"Looking for me?" the deep voice attached to it asked.

I'd landed on my feet and had my sword out in front of me as I took in the scene. The monster seemed to be some kind of giant, but not one I'd ever seen before. He stood probably ten feet tall and at least half as wide, with a fairly humanoid body of massive proportions, except for his arms, of which he had six: three jutting out from either side of his huge torso. On top of being big, he was also about as ripped as I'd ever seen a monster, or anything really. His hands were easily larger than my head, and he had to wear at least a size twenty-five, extra wide shoe. He was scantily clad in little more than what looked like an armor-plated skirt, greaves, and Ancient Greek military sandals, but I had no doubt he was more than sufficiently protected, given the five-foot long sword he held.

"You're one of the Gegenees," Annabeth supplied before I could think of anything to say.

"Yes, I am," the giant-the Gegenee-said proudly, "My name is Annihilator of Men."

"Wow," I said, "I bet you never had to worry about anyone else having _that_ name growing up."

"The Gegenees were the tribe of Giants in Mysia," Annabeth continued, "You fought the Argonauts. In every story I've ever heard, you always travelled together, practiced pack mentality. What are you doing alone?"

The giant rolled his eyes like he didn't have time for her questions. "I got tired of waiting around in that disgusting pit for the others to reform. They're exceptionally slow. It's pathetic. So, I left them to it and came to scour the earth for heroes to slay myself. You two were my first find." He said that last part in a way that made me think talking him down probably wouldn't be an option.

I sighed. "You know, you're timing is really terrible. Like, worse even then mine." I wasn't particularly thrilled about having to fight this guy in a tuxedo, especially being that it was a rental. And also, I'd kind of been looking forward to spending the night with Annabeth.

Figures. The Fates hated me.

"That may be so," the Gegenee said, "But it won't matter for much longer. Soon, your timing will cease to be an issue ever again."

"I get the feeling you haven't heard of us," I told him, meeting Annabeth's eyes. She nodded, answering the silent question I'd asked. I looked back at the giant. "I'll give you one chance, right now, to do yourself a favor and leave us alone. I promise you'll regret it if you don't." Fat chance, but it had to work sometime, right?

Annihilator of Men just looked at me for two, three seconds, before he burst out in ugly laughter. "Oh, foolish mortal, you amuse me. As if you, two puny _children_, could stand a chance when it took Hercules and his entire army _days_ to defeat us with much better odds in their favor. Lay down your weapons before you hurt yourselves and allow me to kill you cleanly. I won't wait long."

"Yeah, that'll happen," I muttered.

Annabeth seemed slightly more offended. "Listen here, you big, stupid oaf," she said, "I am a daughter of Athena, and I did not go through all the trouble of spending an hour getting my hair and makeup done, and dressing up for you to ruin this night before it even starts. Now, either fight us or don't, but do _not_ insult me by telling me to put my weapon down and die like a coward, got it?"

The giant laughed again. "If it's a fight she wants, a fight she shall get!" he yelled, and no sooner had he said that when he swung out at her with his sword. The sight of his gigantic blade against her knife, under other circumstances, might have been either comical or terrifying. But Annabeth was more than skilled enough to be capable of handling the vast size difference, though granted, a longer blade with a longer reach probably would have been better suited for this situation. I was already running around to the Gegenee's other side when she caught his blade beautifully on her own and deflected his strike back at him, her footwork flawless, even with the long skirt of her dress brushing the ground.

Annihilator of Men was careful to maneuver himself in such a way that I couldn't get behind him. He was smart enough to defend his blind spots, at least. And he was fast for his size. He moved between the two of us relatively smoothly with his sword, blocking our advances. Even so, his thousand years spent in Tartarus must have made him rusty, or maybe he just wasn't as great a fighter as he seemed to think he was, because pretty early on, it was obvious that he was playing much more defense than offense. He clearly knew it too. His expression shifted from an ugly one of angry determination to an even uglier one of a more desperate commitment. He was losing.

Fighting in formal dress was annoying, but it didn't necessarily hinder me like I'd expected it to. Still, my tie was way too tight around my neck as I struck and parried with the giant, and the jacket was too bulky. Annabeth maybe had a little more trouble, if only because her dress fit her tighter than my tux did. She didn't have too much trouble though in keeping our unwelcome friend distracted enough to give me an opening. With one final evasive maneuver, I ended up where I wanted to be, directly behind the Gegenee, and sunk Riptide hilt-deep into his bulky lower back. Annihilator of Men howled in fury and agony, but was helpless to prevent himself from crumbling to golden dust in the night air.

I recapped my sword and crossed the sidewalk to where Annabeth stood, returning her dagger to a sheath she wore around her upper calf. Her breathing was slightly faster than normal, but otherwise she seemed entirely unfazed, barely a hair out of place. I slid the pen back into my pocket. Aside from some monster dust that the wind had graciously blown all over me, I didn't think I looked too much worse for wear either. I brushed my clothes off, sending sparkling monster essence fluttering to the ground, and came to stand next to her. She gave a dry smile.

"It never fails, does it?" I asked.

"Nope," she replied, "We could probably go to Antarctica and some monster would still be daring enough to follow."

I hummed my agreement as she stepped forward and adjusted my tie and jacket. "What do you think?" I asked, "Still want to go to prom?"

She smiled. "Like I said, I didn't do all this," she gestured to herself, "to not go."

I smiled back. "No, you didn't." I checked my inside pocket to make sure the tickets were still there before grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

The monster attack had only held us up a few minutes and by the time we got inside, the dance had only just started. We found some open seats at the table Nate and Lydia, his girlfriend, were sitting at, and overall, though I wasn't overly impressed with anything about the prom itself, I was glad we'd made the effort to come.

After a few minutes, we ended up on the dance floor, surrounded by a hundred other teenagers all dancing, along with doing some other things I won't mention. Neither my nor Annabeth's dancing skills had improved much over the years, but a few of the songs were slow enough that we could just kind of sway in a circle together to the music. I had my arms around her waist and held her close while she kept her arms around my neck. She looked pretty content with it all, and I couldn't say I blamed her.

"Well, I was expecting a lot worse than this honestly," I confessed. School dances were generally renowned for their inability to impress. It was no secret that they tended to be cheesy and disappointing. And while this certainly wasn't the ballroom of Olympus by any standards, it was still pretty nice.

Annabeth took a second to answer. "Someday," she said, her face just a few inches from mine, "When we're older and juggling jobs, and kids, and adult life, these are the moments I'm going to remember. Not how a giant tried to make us miss prom, but this, being here with you. Dancing." She smiled, "Stepping on each others' feet."

I smiled myself. "So, this was a good idea then? Coming tonight?"

She nodded. "Thank you for thinking of it."

I chuckled. "Thank my mom. I wouldn't have if she hadn't been riding me about it."

Annabeth laughed. "I shudder to think where our relationship would be without her constant intervention."

"Well, for one, I would be more clueless about things than I already am."

She was still smiling. "You're not clueless," she said, "Not about the things that matter."

"And for the things that don't, I have you."

"Exactly," she said, leaning her head against me. I smiled and kissed her hair before resting my head against hers.

And in that moment, no one else existed in the world. It was just us. And it was pretty perfect.

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**Thanks for reading!**


	25. An Incident

**Hey guys!**

**So this chapter is a bit random. I'm not really sure where the idea came from, but I thought it would be cute, or funny, or something. I tried. And I know it took forever to get up, sorry. I've been busy.**

**Hope you like it. :)**

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_**Annabeth**_

I sat in 8th period economics as Mr. Wallace talked, fighting hard against the general indifference that came with being a senior during the last few weeks of the school year. Even I wasn't completely immune to it. For the most part, the hard stuff was over. Aside from a few more days of mostly pointless classes and a handful of finals for the teachers who didn't consider the AP and state exams finals enough, we were done with the year, and with it, high school.

Mr. Wallace wasn't one of those teachers. He did, however, insist on teaching us until the very end for the sole purpose of "enlightening us as young adults." For as long as he had the chance. I suppose I respected that. I was Athena's daughter, after all. But at the same time, I was exhausted and, honestly, just _done _with school. And while economics itself was interesting in the way it all worked and why, it really wasn't my favorite subject.

Not to mention, it seemed one could only milk the same topic for so long before it became mind-numbingly repetitive. After a quick scan of the room for attendance purposes, he proceeded to launch into another lecture about inflation and unemployment's relationship on the Philips Curve, a topic we'd already been over fairly extensively prior to the exam. I was pretty sure at least half the class was already close to sleep. I tried to pay attention, to look at the information and examples presented with an open mind, to somehow make it seem even a little interesting, but really, it was just _boring._

I would have been grateful for the fire alarm that went off a minute later, had I not jumped a foot in the air at the sudden and unexpected loudness of it. I wasn't normally startled easily, having trained myself to constantly be on alert over the years, but the deafening fire alarm at Goode High School almost always managed to do it. That being said, it was that much worse for the kids around me who had been dozing. A teenager a few seats over from me almost fell out of his chair.

"Alright, let's go," Mr. Wallace instructed us, grabbing the clipboard he, along with every other Goode teacher, was required to take with him during emergency drills in order to make sure we were all accounted for outside. "Just leave everything and go." He brought up the rear as we filed out the door and into the hallway as it filled with hundreds of other students doing the same. I looked around at the sea of faces as we all took our leave. Judging from the expressions worn by Mr. Wallace and the other teachers I saw, this wasn't a planned drill, which meant one of two things. Either someone had pulled the alarm as a prank, or this was a real emergency. The former option seemed most likely, especially given the general apathy of the students during this time of the school year, but then, who could know? I figured it would be clear either way soon enough.

Once outside, we made our way to the edges of the side parking lot, where we'd been instructed to go with every drill we'd participated in throughout the year. Technically, we were supposed to stand in organized lines by class, but the mass of teenagers around me was little more than a loose blob. For the first few minutes, everyone stayed relatively quiet and in the same spot, but then, little by little, they began moving around and mingling with kids in their immediate vicinity. As long as we all stayed away from the building though, none of the administrators seemed to care much.

I wasn't the only one aware of the adults' obvious ignorance of the cause of the drill. All around me, conversations sprung up, all basically following the lines of, "What's going on?" and, "I don't think this is a drill," and, "Maybe we'll get to leave early." Their ideas were only reinforced when, a moment later, a fire truck, siren on and lights flashing, rounded the corner and turned into the main parking lot. The students around me grew quiet at its appearance, watching in unabashed curiosity for a minute, before dissolving slowly back into random sides of conversation.

About fifteen feet to my left, the teachers corralling us had all clustered together in conversation of their own. I doubted they knew much more than their students. I didn't see Paul among them, but that was unsurprising, as his classroom was located entirely on the other end of the school and he no doubt was on the other side of the campus with his English class.

Regardless of the cause, an unplanned fire drill meant we wouldn't be allowed back inside until the administrators and the fire department figured out what was happening, and that could take a while. I was glad it was a nice day outside, at least.

I scanned the area and the hundred of faces around me, looking for one in particular. Percy's 8th period chemistry class was in the same building as Mr. Wallace, so the odds were pretty good that he'd exited out the same door I did and was close by. The students had started moving around, grouping together with nearby friends. As long as they stayed close, no one in charge seemed to mind much. I caught sight of Christina, my lab partner, across the lot; Sam, who I had Latin with, watching the faculty members with interest; Nate, Percy's friend, talking to a handful of kids a few parking spaces over; along with a few other people I shared classes or study hall with, but no Percy.

Cory, another student in Mr. Wallace's class, met my eyes as I searched. He was a nice enough guy, if not a little forward at times. He'd been my partner for a research project we'd been assigned a month earlier but I didn't really know him all that well otherwise. He gave a halfhearted smile. "So, this is fun, isn't it?" he said dryly.

"Sure," I answered, still discreetly scanning the crowds, hopefully without seeming overly rude, "I'm having a blast."

"Yeah," Cory agreed with half a shrug, "It's better than sitting in class, at least. I swear if I have to listen to one more lecture about aggregate demand affecting unemployment and interest rates, my ears will start bleeding." I smiled. We'd all had the facts presented to us enough that we could probably recite them in our sleep by now. Cory seemed to take that as encouragement to keep talking. "What do you think's going on?"

"I have no idea," I told him, but it wasn't really true. I did have an idea, one I probably should have thought of sooner, and I didn't like it very much. Because I couldn't find Percy, and that wasn't exactly reassuring given his track record for run-ins with trouble at school.

Cory continued. I was only half listening. "I bet it was some kid who pulled the alarm. Probably thought he was being funny."

"Uh huh," I muttered. I turned my head then and caught sight of a familiar mop of black hair. Against my will, I smiled. I turned back to Cory. "I'll be right back," I told him, already turning away.

"Hey," Percy said when I approached. His tone was casual.

"Do you know anything about this?" I asked by way of greeting, nodding toward the building. I kept my voice low enough that any listening ears nearby wouldn't be able to hear.

He looked at me, feigning insult, though the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth kind of ruined it. "What, you just assume this is my fault?"

"I know you," I replied, smirking, "Not to mention, we wouldn't still be out here if it was nothing." It had been at least fifteen minutes and the faculty still looked no closer to an answer. Goode was pretty efficient when it came to weeding out the pranks from the actual emergencies. There was an incident a few months ago when someone pulled the alarm and they were able to deem the campus safe and had everyone back inside in under twenty minutes. That clearly wasn't the case here.

Percy considered that for a second. "Okay, yeah. Fine. First, I just want to point out that this," he gestured to the sea of evacuated students and teachers around us, "was not my intention. I really did try to keep the smoke alarms from going off."

I couldn't decide whether I was more concerned or amused by his easygoing tone. "What happened?" I asked, smirking, though not particularly excited about the answer. Still, the fact that he didn't have angry principals or police officers after him was a good sign.

He shrugged. "Oh, you know, just a fire-breathing goat in the biology room."

I blinked. Few things surprised me anymore, but I hadn't been expecting that. "A _what_?"

"Yeah, you heard that right. I don't know where it came from or that it even existed before last period, but that's what it was."

I stared at him for a few seconds. Under different circumstances, I might have thought he was joking, except that in some tiny part of my mind, some inkling of memory of a story about a fire-breathing goat actually did sound slightly familiar. I sighed, "Fantastic. How bad?"

"Given my track record, not that bad actually. Ms. Carter doesn't have a class 8th period so there was no one in there, and I actually managed to keep the damage to a minimum. A few of the tables got slightly charred and most of the papers on her desk are no more, but other than that, it's basically fine in there, all things considered."

That actually _wasn't_ horrible, which was sad but true. The attack had gone unseen and the damage could be explained easily enough. A Bunsen burner malfunction, maybe? Goode had been around for a while. Weirder things had to have happened before.

"Well," I said, "At least you didn't blow a hole in the school this time." He smirked. I shook my head. I'd had English with him just fifteen minutes before and everything had seemed fine. Figures, the fire-breathing farm animals only showed up when Percy was alone. He had the worst luck of anyone I knew.

"Exactly," he agreed, "This is really minor in comparison." I wondered how true that really was when a second fire engine pulled into the school a moment later. I raised an eyebrow. "Nothing was seriously burning when I left," he defended.

"_Seriously _burning?" I asked, "Meaning something _was_ still on fire?"

Percy shrugged, pretty unconcerned. "A little, yeah. Some papers were still smoldering and stuff. I didn't really stick around long to take a full inventory. The fire alarm went off and I didn't want to get caught. I have less then two weeks of high school left. I've come too far to get expelled now."

I gave a short laugh. "At least your priorities are in order, Seaweed Brain." He just grinned at me.

I spotted Paul across the lot then, scanning the crowds of students. He'd probably rightly assumed the worst and came looking for us as soon as he got his own students out of the building. His eyes finally landed on the two of us after a minute and he visibly relaxed. As long as we were out here, we, especially Percy, couldn't get caught vandalizing school property or whatever it was mortals typically saw through the Mist. He could run damage control much easier if needed.

I took Percy's hand then and started pulling him back in the direction I'd come. Our teachers were grouped fairly near each other, which I thought worked out nicely. "Come on," I said, "Let's get to where we're supposed to be before anyone can put the pieces together and start calling you a deranged teenage arsonist."

Percy smirked but complied easily. Unfortunately, he knew from experience not to put that sort of thing past the mortal authorities. "Good idea."

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**So, yeah, I have no idea if there actually is a fire-breathing goat in Greek Mythology anywhere. I wanted something that would set the alarm off without going with the usual boring monsters we see all the time. Honestly though, I wouldn't at all be surprised if there was.  
**

**Anyway, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. :)**


	26. We Endure A Very Long Ceremony

**Hey guys!**

**So, I got off to a really, really rough start with this chapter, and it's still not quite up to my liking, but I don't really know what else to do with it. Also, please forgive any errors I made with the order of the graduation ceremony or anything. I took what I could from Google, but since I haven't graduated high school myself yet, I was kind of flying blind.**

**Also, just so you guys know, I am going to be ending this story soon.I meant for it to cover the year between them coming back from Greece to when they go off to college, which, in this story, is almost up. I have 2 more planned chapters and probably an epilogue after this, but I want to let you all know. After this is finished, I will probably post a few one-shots here and there but I can't really promise any more in-depth stories for a while because, as you can probably see from how awful I've been with updating this lately, I'm just way too busy. I really do appreciate all you readers though, like, more than you know, so feel free to send story ideas or feedback of any sort, or anything whenever you want. I love hearing from you. :)**

**With all that being said, you can read the chapter now. Hope you like it. And I promise to not make you wait almost 3 weeks again.**

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_**Percy**_

There are times when having ADHD is a pain. And then there are times when it absolutely, positively, undeniably, without a doubt, is the worst thing ever. High school graduation ceremonies are apparently one of those times.

Goode's graduating class was sitting alphabetically, decked out in caps and gowns and uncomfortable dress clothes, listening to yet _another_ speech by some school board person I'd never heard of. He was the fourth speaker following the school board president, superintendent, and one other important lady whose title I couldn't remember, who had gone before him and had all run over in their allotted speaking time.

I'm sorry, but I was bored and basically dying.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, add to it the fact that with every little movement I made, the tassel hanging from the side of my cap swung in my peripheral vision. Apparently whoever had first designed graduation getups hadn't thought about how _distracting_ that could be.

I didn't seem to be the only one bothered by it either. The kid sitting in front of me appeared to have made a game of it and was entertaining himself, subtly moving his head and making it swing in different patterns. I didn't know who it was offhand, only seeing him from behind, but it was slightly gratifying to note that he seemed to be faring even worse than I was. Yes, I was about ready to jump out of my skin with all the restless energy inside me, but I was able to control it at least. My knee bounced, basically against my will, in front of me, but otherwise I was pretty proud of myself, honestly, for sitting still this long in a hard chair and uncomfortable clothes. That guy was bored out of his mind and it was painfully obvious. I felt for him.

Another thing about the graduation gowns: they zipped up from the very bottom to my upper chest, and that was really the only way out. Which is fine, as long as you have a clean track record when it comes to random monsters coming after you at inconvenient times with the intention of eating you. Sadly, I didn't. If I got attacked right now, in the time it would take me to get to my pocket and retrieve Riptide, I would already be in Percy flavored smithereens.

Granted, most people didn't have to think about those sorts of things, but I felt it was worth noting.

Lined up by last name as we were, Annabeth was nowhere near me. No one I really knew was. She was two rows up and at the complete other end of the section of seats reserved for us. I saw only the back of her head and her curly hair falling gracefully down her back.

She had always been better with the whole hyperactivity thing than me, and I still, to this day, had no idea how. I mean, she at least had to be _bored_. This speaker wasn't saying anything different than any of the others had. She had nothing to focus her attention on to keep her brain engaged. But then, I couldn't see her face and she _was_ Annabeth, so who knew.

The first section of seats nearest to the stage were reserved especially for the graduating class and then behind that, sat all the family and friends. My parents were there, in the guest seating. Annabeth's family, who had flown in this morning for the occasion, was with them.

The speaker finished a few very long minutes later and I clapped respectfully with everyone else, out of relief honestly, as he returned to his seat. A few students, valedictorian, class president, a couple others, spoke after him, and I enjoyed those only slightly more.

And after that, _finally_, they lined us up and started calling our names to receive diplomas. "Thank God," the girl next to me said under her breath as the first graduate was called. I didn't know who she was, but I glanced beside me to let her know I agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment. She blushed slightly at being heard, but seemed otherwise remorseless.

Everything was done in alphabetical order. One by one, each student's name was read and they made their way across the stage, accepted their diploma from the principal, and shook hands with the adults lined up there, before heading back to their seat.

Annabeth was called and she made her way up the stage steps. I, of course, had to clap a little louder for her. From where I was standing, lined up with the other seniors waiting to be called up, I didn't have to greatest line of sight to the stage and little more than a profile view of Annabeth as she crossed it, but even so, I could still see how immensely happy she was. She accepted her diploma, as well as a medal for academic excellence, from Mr. Williams, and proceeded to shake the waiting hands of the superintendent and school board president. As she made her way toward the steps on the other side of the stage to exit, she glanced over and I met her gaze for a second. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She had redesigned about half of Olympus after the Titan War, and yet graduating high school was still such a huge accomplishment for her. School was bad enough normally; for a demigod, it was a way worse. I felt I knew that better than just about anyone.

It was another few minutes before the list of names reached the J's, though I was one of the first. Right before they called me, I was hit with the oddest feeling of nostalgia, like it finally hit me that this was actually happening, that I'd actually made it through high school and was _graduating_. That in itself, I guess, was pretty huge. Especially since I'd spent most of middle school believing I'd drop out for sure. But I'd actually made it and, even after everything I'd done, fighting in wars, battling monsters, and surviving the darkest part of the Underworld, it felt really did feel awesome.

My name was finally called. I mounted the few steps to the platform and crossed the stage. Mr. Williams, smiling, handed me my diploma and congratulated me, after which, I proceeded to move down the line of handshakes like everyone else before me had.

After everything, simply crossing a stage and being handed a piece of paper seemed kind of anticlimactic, actually, but I caught a glimpse of my parents as I made my way toward the exit stairs and the look on my mom's face made me wonder if that was really true. I don't know that I'd ever seen her look as proud as she did in that moment. She was crying, of course, and clapping, and her smile lit up my world, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was about that smile exactly that seemed different, but it just somehow was. Because for every time I'd doubted my ability and will to stick it out and make it through high school, I knew she'd surely thought (and feared) the same just as much. And yet, here I was, officially a high school graduate, heading to college in the fall. I mean, other than the fact that I had actually _lived_ to see this day, what more could she have asked for?

The rest of the ceremony passed pretty quickly, mostly because I stopped paying attention entirely. Once we all received our diplomas and sat down again, we were all officially declared Goode High graduates and the closing statements were made. And then, after that, right before we dispersed, all of us stood, took off the tasseled caps, and tossed them in the air together. I'll be honest, until right then, I hadn't been entirely convinced that that wasn't just something done in movies.

There are really only two words that effectively describe the place after the ceremony ended: Utter. Chaos. People were everywhere; parents trying to get to their kids, graduates moving around to get with their friends, people taking pictures, and literally everyone going in different directions all at once. It didn't help that Goode was probably pushing the fire code limits with the amount of people there, either.

I tried to find Annabeth first, because she was closest to me and I figured that meant she'd be the easiest to find, but I lost track of her pretty quickly. So I switched to plan B, which consisted of me staying in one place and searching around peoples' heads for any sign of anyone I knew at all, and hoping that the crowds would dissipate a little.

It wasn't any family or Annabeth that I found first. It was Nate, a friend of mine. He looked slightly lost and overwhelmed too. "Hey," he said, coming to stand beside me, "Congrats!"

"Yeah, you too," I replied, smiling.

He thanked me in turn and then joined me in scanning the crowds. "So, um," he said, "How do you think we're supposed to find anyone in this mess?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," I admitted, "I'm kind of hoping if I stand here long enough, my family will come to me." Nate seemed to agree with that logic.

"So, am I the only one who's kind of awed that it's over?" he asked, "High school, I mean. Is that weird to you?"

"Yeah, a little," I said, and it was. Just then, for a split second and out of nothing but dumb luck, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face through the crowd and zeroed in on my mom, waving at me and smiling, with Paul and the Chases behind her, navigating the throng of people around them. "Hey," I said to Nate, "My parents are over there. I'll catch up with you later."

"Yeah, sure," he replied easily, still searching for his own.

"Good luck," I told him.

"Thanks," he said, and I made my way toward my waiting guests. It was less crowded where they were. I could breath my own air, at least, once I broke through the sea of people immediately surrounding the graduated seniors.

My mom reached me before anyone else and crushed me in a massive hug. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Mom."

"It was a long road," she said, "But you made it." She let me go then and when she looked at me, I thought she might start crying again. "Oh, honey, I am so proud of you."

I grinned. "Thanks, Mom."

Paul, who had, along with Annabeth's family, come to stand next to my mom as she hugged me, stepped forward now and put a hand on my shoulder. "You made it!" he said, smiling, and my mom, beside him, smiled wider.

"It was questionable for a while," I allowed, grinning.

"You mean like when you blew up the music room your freshmen year? Yeah, I'd say so." I laughed. "Seriously though," he continued, "Congratulations. I'm proud of you too, Perce."

"Sorry to interrupt," Frederick said then, "But have you seen Annabeth, Percy?"

"No, I haven't found her yet," I answered, "It's pretty chaotic down there."

Then, Paul, next to me, chuckled. "I have. Incoming, Percy."

I turned around just in time to catch Annabeth as she slammed into me, not caring, apparently, who saw. "I am _so _proud of you!" she said, more excited than I almost ever saw her and her words following the exact lines my parents' had. I could feel the smiling faces watching us.

"Thanks," I said, "That's kind of a common theme around here."

She pulled back a little but stayed well within my grasp, still smiling. "Thanks for ruining it, Seaweed Brain."

Before anyone could do or say anything else, a horrified ten-year old voice piped up, "Please don't kiss!" It was Annabeth's brother. Matthew, I think-it had been a while since I'd last seen them.

Everyone laughed and Annabeth let go of me. "I wasn't planning on it," she reassured her brother easily. The Chases moved forward to embrace her then, showering her in the congratulations and compliments mine had only a minute before. Meanwhile, my mom took the opportunity to wrap her arms around me again.

"I can't believe you just graduated high school," she informed me, "I feel so old."

I smiled. "You're not old, Mom."

She pulled back, smirking. "Good answer."

Paul stepped up behind us then, putting an arm around each of us, and I couldn't help but notice how nice it was, in that moment at least, to just be a normal guy with a normal family, celebrating a normal event along with everyone else.

"What do you say," my stepdad began, "Should we attempt to get out of here, get some dinner?"

"Yes," I answered."

"Pictures first," my mom put in, to which Annabeth's parents readily agreed.

So, a few minutes later, I held Annabeth's hand as we brought up the rear in following our families outside, where there was hopefully less people and more space to take, between my mom and Theresa, Annabeth's stepmom, what would no doubt turn into at least half a million different shots and poses of us.

But it was okay. Because I had my family and Annabeth here with me. And also because, honestly, I did want to remember this day. For a long, long time.

I think, after everything, maybe I deserved to.

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**So, I feel like some parts of this were maybe out of character, and if they were, I'm sorry about that. I've had an image in my head for this chapter for a long time now, but I had so much trouble trying to write it out. Still, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Thanks for reading and see you next time!**


	27. A Friend Returns

**Hey guys, I'm back! :)**

**So I've gotten SO many requests to do this chapter and I've been planning to since the very beginning, so I think you'll be happy with it. It also turned out to be SO LONG, but I'm actually satisfied with it, so we're all happy!**

**Also, more news you might be happy to hear: I know last chapter I said I only planned on writing, like, one more chapter after this, but I have since changed my mind and, after this, will probably have 3 more because there are some things I want to wrap up a little better before I end and having the extra chapters will let me do that more smoothly.**

**And now, to the super long chapter. Enjoy!**

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_**Annabeth**_

The sun was warm and bright, like it usually was at Camp Half-Blood, shining down on the small bunch of us as we sat on the dock at the edge of the canoe lake. Lunch had ended a few minutes ago and our little group: Jason, Piper, Rachel, Percy, and I had headed down here after to hang out for a bit.

It was a few days shy of July and the summer session at camp was just starting. Half-bloods were still showing up every day from their various school year homes around the country, and because of that the actual schedules didn't officially begin until next week. Not that the bunch of us really had any set schedules that applied to us anymore anyway. We were counselors now, which meant we taught lessons and helped Chiron keep everything up and running, but otherwise were free to do what we wanted.

We'd arrived two days ago, before really any of the summer-only campers were there yet. They'd been coming in steady waves ever since. It had been about a week since graduation and I was really happy to have school out of the way for a few months before starting college. We weren't spending the entire summer at camp this year, as we did have a lot to do before heading to California in August, and also because Sally would never allow Percy (and, at this point, probably me either) to be gone the entire summer right before moving across the country, but we'd promised Chiron a few weeks. And anyway, it might be a while, maybe even the whole year, before we were back again. I wanted to see everyone before we left for good.

Percy sat beside me, one foot casually hanging off the dock's edge, bare foot in the water. The flip-flops he'd been wearing sat discarded to one side of him. He looked out over the water contently and seemed lost in thought for the moment, far away from the conversation going on around him. Rachel was on my other side, her denim shorts paint-splattered and her red hair tied back. She'd arrived yesterday from New Hampshire after graduating herself, and I could honestly say I'd never seen someone, not even Percy, so happy to be out of high school. Clarion Academy had been a consolation prize for her father, one that Rachel had endured for three years, but she'd hated every minute of it. She was back in New York to stay now, both for art school and her position as Oracle at camp, and it was very clearly where she wanted to be.

Jason sat across from me with Piper happily in his lap. Both had been at camp since the Giant War, with, from what I understood, occasional trips to California for Jason to keep up with his _Pontifex Maximus _position at Camp Jupiter and for Piper to visit her dad, who was still unaware of her godly heritage and believed Camp Half Blood was a boarding school for challenged teens.

It was still weird seeing just them at camp now. I mean, they hadn't been here very long before the quest, but even in that time, it was so rare to see the two of them without Leo nearby. I guess in the time since, I hadn't been at camp enough to get used to seeing the trio without its third member, and every time I was, the gap in the group was plainly there. And they noticed it too. Even with my occasional visits throughout the school year, it was very obvious that they missed his presence a lot. Maybe it was better now, having been just shy of a year since losing him, but it was still there sometimes. Those sorts of things never really left you. I carried losses with me too.

And Leo was one of them. I hadn't known him super well but I'd spent enough time with him in the engine room of the Argo II to at least acquire a fondness for him. At the time, most of which was before the quest even officially began, I was just too wrapped in in missing Percy to notice. But he was my comrade in arms, if not something close to a friend, and his death hurt me too. For Piper and Jason, who had been his best friends, it was so much worse.

Every death was hard, but when you were close, it was way worse. I knew that only too well.

I caught myself absently twirling last year's bead on the chord around my neck, the one with the picture of Festus the dragon on it, while Jason recounted the events from a couple weeks ago in which a lost baby hellhound had wandered a bit too close to the borders for comfort. A handful of the older demigods had been sent to check it out, only to find it more scared of them then they were of it. Melody, a daughter of Apollo, had opted to let it stay and wanted to name it Mrs. O'Leary II, but Mr. D had forbade it on account of the fact that Hellhounds didn't stay the size of golden retrievers forever, and that was a very big extra mouth to feed. "I'm pretty sure it had less to do with feeding it and more to do with the fact that he just didn't want to let the kids keep another monster. I get the feeling he probably wasn't all too thrilled when the original was allowed to stay," he concluded.

Percy, who had started listening again at the mention of his dog, piped up, "He wasn't. He always took extra care to make sure I knew just how much he didn't like her being here, like, every single day. Still does sometimes."

"So, what did you end up doing with it?" I asked, referring to the lost hellhound.

"Grover actually volunteered to take it and find it a good home. He said he knew someone who could help." Jason shrugged, indicating he didn't know anything more.

Percy blinked. "_Grover_ volunteered to take a monster with him to find it a home? Grover Underwood?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He was just never super fond of Mrs. O'Leary either. She terrified him," he explained.

"Well, this one was just a baby. It was really cute, actually. Maybe that's why," Piper reasoned.

"More like he knew that's what you'd want when you found out," Rachel put in, looking at Percy, "Because of Mrs. O'Leary."

"That sounds like something Grover would do," I said, thinking along the same lines she was. Percy was Grover's best friend and the satyr was intensely loyal to him. I didn't doubt for a second that he would have put his own discomfort aside to do something for Percy. I'd seen him do it before with Tyson in the Labyrinth.

Percy looked thoughtful. I made a mental note to make sure we spent some time with Grover while we were here. He was out on some special Lord of the Wild errand right now, but, according to Chiron, was due back in a few days.

"Where is Mrs. O'Leary anyway?" Rachel asked. "Nico's back here now for good, right? I saw him in the dining pavilion." I'd seen him in there too, and again right after lunch, when he'd made a beeline straight for the infirmary. And I was pretty sure it wasn't because he was sick. "Wasn't he watching her for you?"

"She's here," Percy told her, "I saw her yesterday when I got here. He keeps her in the arena usually. Chiron told me he wants to build a more permanent home for her though."

No one got the chance to say anything after that because at that moment, a group of naiads appeared in the water beside us. They waved and giggled, batting their eyelashes at Percy. Jason, Piper, and Rachel stared at them in surprise; they left most people alone and were subtle with the ones they didn't. I stared out of annoyance. Percy paid them no attention at all, like he was used to their constant flirting, which he was. The naiads had had a crush on him since before I had, and it wasn't the first time we'd dealt with them. Normally, they weren't so overt, but it had been a while since he'd been here. They had a habit of making up for lost time.

"Just ignore them," Percy advised, "They'll go away in a minute." The naiads stopped giggling at that and looked offended. After another few awkward seconds, they did go away, though not without intentionally splashing me a little on their way out (they weren't my biggest fans), which finally did get a rise out of Percy. "Hey!" he said indignantly after them, but they were already gone.

Jason looked particularly curious. "Is that a normal thing for you?"

"Only when I'm not here for a while," Percy explained.

"That's…" Jason smirked, "Sorry, but that's actually really funny." Piper, beside him, looked at me somewhat sympathetically. I'd mentioned the naiads to her before in passing.

"Glad you're amused," I said, wiping water off my now wet arm.

"Do they all do that to you?" Rachel wanted to know, "All naiads, I mean?"

"No. Just the ones here," Percy said.

"And they don't like you because they like Percy?" Piper asked me.

I shrugged. "It looks that way."

"Maybe it's because of what happened after the Battle of Manhattan," Rachel suggested, "They probably saw." Until she said that, I'd never really considered whether the naiads had seen us kissing that night, but I supposed it was more than likely that we had some sort of audience. That was a mortifying thought.

"What happened after the Battle of Manhattan?" Jason asked.

"We got thrown into the lake," Percy supplied unhelpfully.

"Um, okay," he said after a pause, confused. Piper looked like she understood though. She was an Aphrodite kid after all. I'm sure there were all sorts of rumors that went around camp over what we really did down there, and her cabin was probably the center of all of them. Again, kind of mortifying, but that couldn't be helped.

"The Stolls were really upset when their plan backfired though, let me tell you," Rachel said, grinning.

Percy grinned back, glancing at me. "We got the last laugh there." I smiled.

I glanced over then and noticed a figure running toward us at full speed. It was Nico, in a camp shirt and dark jeans, and I couldn't tell if the look on his face was an indication of something bad having happened or just due to how hard he was running. I assumed the former. I grew immediately serious and everyone else followed my gaze as the Son of Hades reached us.

"Guys," he said, "You need to see this. Come on." His breathing was a little quick, like he'd sprinted all the way over here from the infirmary. Maybe he had. Regardless, we were all on our feet immediately and ran after him towards the Big House.

When we got there, a group of campers had already gathered on the stretch of land between the Big House and the cabins. They parted easily, allowing us through, but even if they hadn't, we would have had no problem in seeing the huge, _familiar_ metal dragon touch down. We all stood, frozen and silent, as Festus folded his wings and then laid down right there on the grass, looking as exhausted as a metal creature could look. And only after that did my eyes move to rest on the two figures sitting atop the metal body; one familiar, the other, a total stranger, though I had a pretty good idea who she was. I glanced quickly at Percy beside me and found him focused in on her, an intense look of something between shock, guilt, and incredulity written across his face.

Jason and Piper stood gaping. I didn't know what my expression looked like as I tried, and failed, to reason out what I was seeing. Frank and Hazel had told us that Leo'd had the death cure when he defeated Gaea, but I'd never imagined it was actually anything that would work. Not to mention, he'd also managed, it seemed, to free a Titan from a magical island that she was never supposed to be able to leave. The logical part of me was screaming. The other part of me was mostly too shocked to do anything, but the tiny part that wasn't, was rejoicing.

The Son of Hephaestus was grinning. "Helloooo demigods!" he said, sliding off the dragon's back and landing on the ground. His curly hair had grown out and fell way in his eyes. He seemed slightly taller and maybe a little broader, and very tan from flying on a metal dragon over the ocean, exposed to the elements. His clothes were spotted with oil and grease, and he had a hole in the hem of his shirt. Overall, he looked exceptionally good for someone who was supposed to have died. The girl-Calypso-stayed where she was.

The campers remained silent. Even Chiron, who stood in front of the steps leading up to the Big House, looked stunned beyond words staring at Leo Valdez, returned from the dead. Leo, of course, would have none of that. "Hello?" he said, gesticulating wildly, "Anyone home around here?" Still nothing. "Seriously, people? I just flew in on a winged metal dragon, landed right in the middle of everything, and returned from the freakin' _dead_, and you're just gonna _stand_ there? Where's the celebration? The hallelujah chorus? The crying babes draping themselves all over me?"

It was Jason who spoke first, though not very well. "You…" he said, staring wide-eyed at Leo like he didn't believe his eyes, but he really wanted to, "You-you're… But you're dead. You…"

"Yup, I was," Leo went on easily, "Death cure worked like a charm!" Jason, still wide-eyed and blinking, took a hesitant step toward him, but it was Piper who flung herself forward then, crossing the space between the gathered campers and the flying dragon, and flung her arms around Leo, almost knocking him to the ground.

Judging from the way she shook, she was either crying or very close to it. "Oh my gods," she squeaked just loud enough for probably the first row or two of gathered half-bloods to hear, "Oh my gods. Oh my gods, Leo."

And Leo, suddenly about as serious as he ever was, hugged her tightly back. "Hey, Beauty Queen. I missed you." And just like that, Piper let go again and looked absolutely furious. She shoved Leo. Hard. She put her weight into it, and he stumbled back a couple steps. "Hey!-"

"Leo Valdez, I hate you _so _much right now!" The Son of Hephaestus just looked at her, wide-eyed. "We thought you were dead! You _exploded_! And you _planned_ it? Why would you _do _that? You didn't even let us know! You-" And then Leo did what may or may not have been the smartest thing he could have done right then considering who he was talking to. He reached out and hugged Piper again, holding her tight. And only then did she start to cry.

The campers were silent, watching this, and I was suddenly glad there weren't as many here as normal. This was already too big an audience for such an intimate reunion. Most of them save for a few Cabin 9 campers, didn't even know Leo very well at all.

Percy was still looking at Calypso. At some point, she had found him in the crowd and was now looking back. They shared between them their own personal brand of awkward tension.

After a minute, Leo let a slightly calmer Piper go and then turned to Jason, who had eventfully come to stand beside them. The two hugged each other like long lost brothers. Jason still appeared to be in shock.

Chiron stepped forward finally, though, I noted, Mr. D stood on the porch, arms crossed and clearly trying for unimpressed. His expression was a bit more interested than normal though, so he wasn't fooling anyone. "Heroes!" the Centaur called to all of us, "Thanks be to the gods! Our fallen comrade has returned to us whole. Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus." There was respectful clapping after that by all of us, with added whoops and cheers from a few.

When it quieted down, Chiron said, "Tell us, my boy, who you have with you." Though I could tell by the look on his face that he knew quite well who Calypso was. He didn't seem to know what to make of her presence here.

"Oh," Leo straightened and turned toward the Titan, like he couldn't believe he'd forgotten about her. He reached up and took her hand before helping her to the ground in a gentlemanly fashion I honestly never would have thought Leo capable of. "Right. Guys, this is Calypso. Calypso, these are Piper and Jason." He then turned toward the rest of the group, still standing around watching, "Yeah, everyone, that's right! I, Leo Valdez, the super-sized McShizzle, have rescued and captured the heart of the most beautiful girl _ever_. Be jealous!"

As if noticing he'd forgotten someone kind of important, Leo turned toward Chiron again. "Oh! And this is-"

"Chiron," Calypso supplied in a soft voice. "I know who he is, Leo." She regarded the Centaur not unkindly.

He nodded at her. "Hello, child. Welcome."

She dipped her head formally. "Thank you."

"O-kay," Leo said, "So you know each other then. Great…" He looked back at all of us. "Uh, so that's it, I guess. Show's over, folks. Feel free to go about your business. Have a nice day."

No one left, but the semicircle we'd all been standing in slowly dispersed as Leo's siblings and other interested campers moved toward him for a closer look. I hung back for a moment with Percy, who still looked shell-shocked. I grabbed his hand. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He swallowed and slowly nodded. "I just… can't believe she's here. I mean…" he looked at me finally, "What am I supposed to say to her?"

"Nothing if you don't want to," I told him. I didn't mean it in a cruel or jealous way, just as a fact. "You didn't do anything wrong, Percy. You had to leave her. And you did everything you could for her after you did."

"I just should have followed up with my request, checked up on her. I mean I'm glad Leo found her, I just still feel like I failed her."

"You didn't," a voice said from beside us. Calypso stood there, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, her caramel-colored hair braided down her back. Not exactly what I expected an ancient Titan to look like. Standing there before her, I wanted to hate her for everything she'd put Percy through, all the indecision and guilt; or even to _dislike_ her for it, but I found that I just couldn't. The strongest emotion I could muster was indifference. And pity. I remembered that curse that I got hit with down in Tartarus, _Calypso's_ curse; how alone and hopeless it felt to believe the one I loved had abandoned me. It had only been for a few minutes and yet it seemed to last for an eternity. It wasn't real. But for this girl, it was. Over and over again she had felt like that, and for three thousand years she hadn't been able to escape it. How could I be mad at her, knowing even a fraction of what that was like? I couldn't.

Calypso blushed, looking between us. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overhear, I just…" she trailed off, looking at Percy, who offered a small smile. "It's good to see you again, Percy," she said.

"You too," he replied.

The side of her mouth lifted slightly and she turned to me. "And you must be Annabeth."

"That's me," I said.

"You're beautiful. I can see why Percy thinks so."

Now I was the one blushing. "Thank you."

Beside me, Percy was anxiously rubbing his neck. "Calypso, I'm-"

"I know," she said, "It's okay. You did what you had to and beyond that. I know you tried to free me after your war. I don't blame you for anything."

He took a deep breath and nodded then, and I could tell he'd needed to hear her say those words. He was loyal as could be and would probably always feel guilty no matter what, but at least he could get closure now.

Leo approached us then, smirking. "Hey," he said, coming to stand between Calypso and me. He looked at me, his expression somewhere between expectation and uncertainty. "Miss me?" he asked. I smiled and hugged him. When we separated, his eyes landed on Percy. "So, are we good?" he asked.

"Of course," Percy answered and then hugged Leo himself. "Thank you," I heard him say to the son of Hephaestus before they separated. Leo nodded once at him in acknowledgement, before stepping back. He slipped his arm around Calypso and pulled her close, just as Jason and Piper, who seemed to have recovered some from their shock, joined the four of us. The campers were steadily returning to their other activities now.

"So," Leo said, back in his normal fun-loving tone, "You guys got any food around here? Because we ran out of everything edible at least a day ago and I literally might die again if I don't get a cheeseburger pronto."

"I don't know about cheeseburgers," Percy said, "But there's definitely barbeque."

"That works."

"Okay, we'll get you some food," Piper said, "And then after that, we need to IM Frank and Hazel."

"And tell them about my miraculous recovery? Sure thing," he said, "Food first though, like seriously."

"Come on," Piper said, starting off toward the dining pavilion with Jason next to her, "While you eat you can tell us everything that happened between when you first decided to sacrifice yourself for the greater good and now. You have a _lot _of explaining to do."

"Yes, _Mom_," Leo, smirking, said as he took Calypso's hand and led her after his best friends, leaving Percy and me alone. "You guys coming?" he called back to us.

I glanced at Percy. I was curious to hear what happened, but it was up to him. "We'll catch up with you in a minute," he answered Leo. We watched the group walk away for another few seconds before I turned and met his eyes again. He didn't say anything, just leaned forward and kissed me. "I love you," he said, "Like, a lot."

I smiled. "I love you too, Seaweed Brain. I always will." He returned my smile and kissed me one more time.

And with that settled, we walked together toward the dining pavilion, partly to hear the story of Leo's death and resurrection, and also because I wanted to be there to see the looks on Frank and Hazel's faces when they found out that their plan worked and Leo was alive.

Because they were sure to be pretty great.

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**Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought.**


	28. A Door Closes and Another Opens

**Hey guys. This AN is going to be a bit long, so sorry, but it's important. **

**So, first of all, sorry about the long wait for this chapter, though you're probably used to that by now. I have a good reason, I promise. Now, I know, last chapter, I mentioned changing my plans a bit to include a couple more chapters to wrap some things up better, however, I have since changed my mind. For a few reasons. First and foremost, I honestly don't think I can write 2+ more chapters about the few things I wanted to expound on a little more and make them decent, so I will not try. Secondly, I am really just too busy and wrapping up this story now takes one thing off my shoulders. Not to mention, I'm kind of happy having this as the last chapter. You'll see why.**

**That all being said, yes, this is the last chapter of this story. Tentatively, I will be marking it as Complete, though I may or may not add an epilogue in the future. I say may because I kind of wrapped the story up with the end of this one, so we'll see.**

**Also, since I have had a few people ask over the last few weeks, I do not have any more long, multi-chapter PJO stories planned at this time. The reason for this being that I have run out of ideas for any at this point (which may change with the release of the new series coming out in May, but for now) and also that I simply don't have the time to put into them like I used to. Long Road Ahead was the first long (and first ever) fanfic I wrote, and that was first published the summer before my sophomore year of high school. I am now a senior getting ready to graduate in just a little over 2 months and I just don't have the time anymore. I've never before taken so long to post updates as I have with this story and I just don't think that's fair to you all as readers, or to myself as a busy student, to pile more on myself. This doesn't, however, mean I won't write anything anymore. I have a handful of one-shots I plan to write eventually for PJO as well as a few other fandoms, that I will post. I just can't give a specific timetable as far as when. Hopefully soon though. And after that, well, I guess it depends on the workload of college, whether or not I will be able to write consistently anymore. Either way, keep an eye out!**

**Okay. Now that that's all said, I will actually talk about this chapter. It was very therapeutic to write actually. Being, as I said, a HS senior myself, I found myself pouring a lot of the mixed emotions and such that I deal with in thinking about and planning for college right now, into Percy's POV for this update. I think it helped me write it better actually, to feel the same way the characters are. Anyway, I just thought I'd share that random bit of personal insight into this chapter. I'll let you read it now. I really hope you like it, the last chapter of All That Matters!**

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_**Percy**_

"There," Annabeth said, sealing the last few boxes sitting atop the desk in my room, containing the last of the essentials we were taking with us to California. "I think we're done." She took a step back and surveyed her work, looking pleased with herself. The room looked remarkably bare now, stripped of all it's character with everything packed up. The other boxes, along with the rest of the things going with us, were already in the trunk of the car.

We were leaving for California tonight, hoping to get a little bit of a head start on the driving without the crazy daytime traffic to slow us down. In the future, we'd probably fly back and forth from New Rome to visit and stuff, but we couldn't exactly bring everything we needed on a plane with us initially. Nico probably could have helped us shadow travel things back and forth, but I hadn't thought to ask him. And anyway, I was honestly kind of looking forward to driving cross-country with Annabeth, getting the chance to spend some time with her before starting college.

Paul had officially given me the Prius as a going away present. He'd finally gotten around to replacing it after dealing with the deep hoof-shaped indentations in the hood for three years now. Personally, they didn't bother me. I thought they added character. Not to mention, I'd never forget my Pegasus friend now, driving around with his seal permanently stamped onto my car. I would drive it to New Rome with pride.

I took one last look around my room and couldn't help the wave of nostalgia, and also apprehension, that hit me whenever I thought about moving away. I'd faced a lot of stuff over the years and really, college shouldn't have seemed as intimidating as it did, but the idea of living so far away from home for really the first time would take some getting used to.

My mom stood in the doorway of my bedroom, looking around it with an expression that was equal parts wistful and sad. I wasn't sure how long she'd been there-not too long. When I met her eyes she offered the smallest of smiles, but she looked like she might start crying at any moment. And right then, I understood the feeling. Leaving my mom was by far my biggest reservation with going to college in New Rome. If it weren't for the fact that she had Paul, I never would have even considered it. But my stepdad was a good man and they loved each other a lot. I didn't doubt for a second that she would be fine with him here. Not to mention, I knew that, despite the sadness that went with my moving away, she really was very happy that I was going to college (and also that my doing so in New Rome meant no tuition payments).

"I can't believe this is really happening," she said, stepping further into the room. I could tell her emotions were waging a war inside her, but for the moment at least, she was handling them pretty well. She looked pointedly at me, "You know that after today, I will officially be old, right? The proud owner of an empty nest." She shook her head.

I offered her a smile as Annabeth came to stand beside me. "Sorry."

"You two are going to call often, right?" she confirmed, serious again as she looked between us.

"Everyday," I promised.

"Maybe more," Annabeth added, smirking.

My mom smiled back and looked to be about to say something when the front door buzzer rang, signaling the arrival of the pizza we'd ordered for an early dinner. "Coming!" Paul called as he went to answer it. "Sally," he asked from the other end of the apartment, "Where's the checkbook?"

My mom sighed lightly but smiled, "Hold on," she answered him and with a last meaningful look cast our way, left to get it.

Annabeth and I didn't immediately follow. I wasn't sure exactly what kind of expression my face wore when we looked at each other. "You okay?" she asked, eyeing me.

I nodded. "Yeah." And I was. I was looking forward to taking this step with Annabeth, to finally having some peace for a change, even to actually earning the degree (which was probably proof more than anything of her influence on me). "Are you?"

When I'd first broached the subject of going to college in New Rome, I knew Annabeth had been less than pleased with the idea, but she'd since warmed up to it and even seemed excited now. Still, her heart and home, like mine, would always be at Camp Half-Blood and leaving for so long was just as big a step for her.

"Well, let's see." She stepped a little closer to me, her smile widening as she spoke, "I'm going to get to enjoy four years of college without monster attacks or quests. And I'll get to spend them with you. So, yeah, I'm pretty okay." Even so, staring at her as I was, I didn't miss it when, after a few seconds, her lower lip began to tremble slightly. She looked away, biting it and blinking against sudden tears. "It's just… overwhelming," she supplied a little self-consciously even as I wrapped my arms around her. It was comforting to know that I wasn't the only one dealing with mixed emotions on the subject.

"Believe me," I told her, resting my chin on her curly hair, "I know."

Paul's voice floated over from the kitchen then, "Kids, food's here!"

"Be there in a minute," I called back in reply, not moving. It felt really good to just be still and hold Annabeth for a minute amidst all the busyness that had been the last few days. I could tell she felt the same way.

Dinner was a quiet, oddly normal affair. The first few minutes were spent discussing the best route to take to California as far as traffic was concerned. After that, my parents and Annabeth spent the remainder of it engaged in a conversation about her family in San Francisco, who, the night before, had told her they might again be moving for her dad's work. From what she'd told me, her stepmom wasn't fond of the idea and wanted to put it off until the twins were older. Nothing was certain yet, but the small part of my brain that was paying attention hoped they ended up staying for a bit. We would be so close to them living in New Rome and I wanted Annabeth, who'd been living in New York almost constantly for most of her life, to have the chance to spend time with her family for a while.

I spent most of this time wrapped up in my own thoughts. The end of summer was always a somewhat sad time with the end of camp and the start of the school year, but this year was different. Normally, I was still in New York for the school months and had the option of spending weekends and breaks at Camp Half-Blood. This year, I'd be across the country. There was a good chance the next time Annabeth and I would be able to spend any significant time at the Greek camp wouldn't be until next summer. I wasn't sure how I felt about that; though that we'd be so close to Camp Jupiter and within it's protective borders the whole year was comforting in its own sense.

That would be another thing to get used to: not having to constantly be on guard against monsters. It was something I'd wanted basically since I'd first learned about my godly heritage and the monsters had become a problem, but to think we were actually getting that chance now was strange in a really great way. Still, I would miss everyone. A _lot._

I thought about all the people we were leaving back here. Not just my parents, though of course I'd miss them too, but all the friends, family really, at camp. Grover, Rachel, Nico, Chiron, people who'd been around for so long now, it wouldn't be the same without them; and newer friends who we'd been through just as much with; Piper, and Jason, and Leo, who was finally back. I kept reminding myself that I'd see everyone again, that there wasn't anything keeping me from IMing and visiting as often as possible, that we had quite a few friends in New Rome now too, but it was still bittersweet to think about.

I'd definitely underestimated how emotional leaving would be, but I was still really excited for college in New Rome. I didn't know completely what to expect, but studying along with a bunch of other Half-Bloods, not having to pretend or hide the fact that I was different, not having various evil things trailing me everywhere I went, and of course, having Annabeth there with me for all of it seemed like more than a good deal to me. This was just a step in life, one that normal, mortal kids my age took all the time, growing up, moving out, and going to college. And honestly, the fact that it was a totally normal thing to do was maybe the weirdest part about it.

After dinner, it was time to load the last few things into the car and get ready to go, a fact that was not lost on me. If I hadn't been hesitant to go before, I definitely was now. A rock the size of Alaska settled itself in my stomach the second we all stood up, and it only grew larger as Paul and I loaded the last of the boxes and bags into the trunk of the Prius and made our way back up to the apartment to say goodbye. I didn't know the last time I'd experienced such conflicting emotions. Before I knew it, it was time to go and the four of us stood near the front door to say goodbye.

Paul stood nearest to me and I hugged him first while Annabeth embraced my mom. "I'm going to miss you, Perce," my stepdad said.

"I'll miss you too," I replied as he let me go and smiled meaningfully. I returned the gesture.

After that it was my mom's turn. She was crying. "I love you, Mom," I told her before anything else, wrapping her tightly in my arms.

"I love you too, Percy. So, so much," She hugged me back just as tightly. I'd grown taller than her over the past few years, but right then, it didn't matter. Her arms would always be one of the most comforting places in the world. She would always be the most important person in my life, second only to Annabeth. "I am so proud of you," she said, "More than you know."

I didn't say anything in response, fighting against the surge of emotion I felt in that moment, and my mom seemed perfectly fine with that. It was another ten seconds or so before she let me go, hastily wiping at her eyes. I took a step back so I stood beside Annabeth and was unsurprised to see tears in her eyes too. Personally, I wasn't too far behind them. I blinked hard, fighting against myself as my tear ducts threatened mutiny. Annabeth took my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze in response. There was a lot communicated in that simple action as we comforted and strengthened each other in turn. We both needed it more than either of us would have admitted.

"It's not going to be the same without you two around," Paul said, his tone taking on a nostalgic quality. I wondered what he was thinking about in that moment, if he was remembering the late night movies, or the family dinners, or all the times I (and sometimes Annabeth too) had come home bruised and battered from a monster fight, and tracked blood through the apartment.

I could think of nothing to say in response to that, which was fine, as my mom didn't give us the chance anyway before she spoke up, her voice surprisingly firm despite her emotionally compromised state. "You promise you'll stop somewhere for the night, right? And call when you do? Let us know you're alright?"

I gave her a smile, the one I knew she loved. "Yes, Mom. I promise."

She didn't say anything immediately, instead reaching up to place a hand on my cheek affectionately. She looked at me for a couple seconds before sighing and taking her hand back. "Okay." She stepped back again. "Well, off you go."

"Have a safe trip, guys," Paul said, opening the door for us as, after a quick exchanged glance, Annabeth and I moved toward it. "Take care."

"Thanks, Dad," I said with a smile as we stepped out into the hallway. Paul's face lit up, like it always did whenever I called him that. I didn't do it very often, but I meant it every time. He was as much a dad to me as he could possibly have been, the one I never knew I'd wanted until after I already had him.

"Drive safe!" my mom called over his shoulder. I assured her we would and, after another second of meaningful looks exchanged between all of us, Annabeth and I turned away and Paul closed the door behind us and with it, the current chapter of our lives.

We stood there for another second, looking at the blue door of the apartment that was home to both of us, before I met her eyes with my own. She quirked an eyebrow slightly. "Ready?" I asked softly.

She nodded, and then, just as softly, asked, "Are _you _ready?"

For another short moment, I just stared at her, into her eyes; gray, beautiful, swirling with mixed emotions and possibility. A lot of things were changing, starting right now. We were both taking a big step, beginning a new chapter of our lives, one full of unknowns and responsibilities and opportunities. It would be a big adjustment for the both of us, but we would be okay, because no matter where we went or what we did from here, no matter where our paths would lead in life, I had her and she had me, and that was all we'd ever need. The future was an intimidating place and the road through it would likely be a winding one, if our lives so far were anything to go by, but we'd get through it. Because we were both on the same path, walking it together, and that wasn't going to change.

I smiled at her and nodded, and together, hand-in-hand, we made our way down the hall and out to the waiting car, and our future officially began.

The two of us, our friendship, our teamwork, our joys, our struggles, the love I felt for her and that I knew she felt for me. In the end, that was all we needed.

And in the end, that's all that matters.

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**And that is it. Hopefully you found that ending satisfying.**

**THANK YOU so much to all of you for reading, for sticking with this story, despite the long waits sometimes between updates. You all are fantastic. Your reviews and PMs were so encouraging and I really just love all the support you all give me. You don't know how much it means!**

**I hope you've enjoyed this story and that it brought you some closure as far as BoO went, back before we found out about the Trials of Apollo. I enjoyed writing it for you and seeing all your thoughts and feedback toward it!**

**Really quick, let me know if you think I should write an epilogue for this story and if so, what it should be about. I haven't decided yet but I think it could go either way, whether I add one or not. We'll see.**

**Anyway, I love you all.**

**-LiveLaughLove728**


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